- Why is the permanent tooth taking too long to be born?
- Anodontics - when there is no permanent tooth
- Treatment
- What to do while the tooth is not born
What should be done when the baby tooth falls and the permanent tooth is not born even after 3 months of waiting is to take the child to the dentist, especially if the child has symptoms such as toothache, gum changes and bad breath, for example. The dentist can clarify all doubts, saying what is normal and what should be treated, as needed.
Usually, after the baby tooth falls, the permanent tooth takes about 1 month to be born. However, if the baby tooth falls out and the permanent tooth does not appear even after 1 year, it may be necessary to place a retainer to maintain the space necessary for the growth of permanent teeth.
Dental implants are not an option because they should not be placed in childhood, after a fall or trauma to the baby tooth as they can impair the development of permanent teeth.
The dentist should observe the child's age, dentition and perform a panoramic x-ray examination to check the entire dental arch and if the unborn tooth is hidden in other places in the mouth. However, this test should only be performed on children over 6 years of age.
It is not always necessary to do any treatment when the permanent tooth takes time to appear and in most cases just wait for the permanent tooth to grow, even if it takes 1 year.
Why is the permanent tooth taking too long to be born?
The delay in the birth of the permanent tooth can occur when the baby tooth fell before the ideal period, due to a blow or the presence of cavities, for example. In this case, the permanent tooth should only appear at the scheduled time, which can vary between 6 and 12 years old, depending on the affected tooth.
Baby teeth usually fall out in the following order:
When the child is over 6 years old and has started to lose milk teeth, but not all permanent teeth are emerging, they should wait up to 3 months to take the child to the dentist for an evaluation, to check if the tooth germ is found. whether present or not.
Anodontics - when there is no permanent tooth
In some children it is possible that the baby tooth falls out and another tooth is not born, because it does not have a replacement tooth, a situation called anodontia. In this case, it is necessary to accompany a dentist.
You can suspect anodontics when there are other cases in the family and when the baby tooth has fallen for more than 2 years and you don't see any sign of it in your mouth. However, in some cases, the tooth may be located in another region of the mouth and only a panoramic x-ray of the mouth can indicate its location.
Treatment
When the tooth is not born, but is present in the gum, the dentist can choose to put an orthodontic appliance to pull the teeth, making room for the permanent tooth to be able to position itself and be born.
If there is no spare tooth in the gum, the dentist may recommend placing braces on the teeth so that the other teeth remain in their ideal position and in the future, when the child is about 17 or 18 years old, a dental implant can be placed permanent. However, when the teeth are well seated, despite the lack of the other tooth, it may not be necessary to carry out any treatment because in this case, it does not impair chewing or the child's appearance.
What to do while the tooth is not born
To ensure oral health, children should be taught how to brush their teeth well to avoid cavities and gingivitis. Teeth should be brushed at least 3 times a day, after meals and always before bed. If the child has a good space between the teeth it is not necessary to floss, but if the teeth are too close, he should floss before the last brushing of the day.
Other important precautions are to eat foods rich in calcium so that teeth and bones are strong and to avoid eating sweet foods because they favor cavities.
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