Has your child lost a baby tooth? Usually a child loses their first tooth around the age of six. With all of the excitement, they may be anxious to fill that gap. Sometimes it can take some time for that new adult tooth to come in. It’s a good time to come get a closer look at the transition and keep an eye on any problems that may arise.
When a new adult tooth is coming in, there are a few situations we look out for at Windermere Orthodontics. Adult teeth are wider and larger than baby teeth. If a child is just starting to lose their baby teeth, there may not be enough space for an adult tooth to come in. If the tooth starts to come in with little space available, it can cause problems such as overcrowding.
Once adult teeth have started to erupt, we are concerned if they are coming in the right direction! Sometimes adult teeth can even come in behind baby teeth. Some people refer to this as “shark teeth”. Most of the time you don’t have to be concerned because the baby teeth will eventually get pushed out. Sometimes, some impacted adult teeth never erupt and stay below the surface. If patients experience tooth ankylosis, where the tooth is bound to the bone, this can cause impaction. It is usually more common with molars. We continue to monitor these, in case of any changes.
Call us to schedule a complimentary consultation at any of our orthodontic offices in Cumming or Suwanee. The best age for evaluation is around 7 years old. We can’t wait to meet you!
– Dr. Michael Gorlovsky