My dentist said my child is missing a few their permanent teeth. What should I do?

Believe it or not, this situation is relatively common. This too tends to run in families, but not always. This brings back the important topic of x-rays. This situation is usually first noted when they child has the panoramic film taken around age 5-7. Typically, though not always, teeth will be missing in pairs. They are also usually missing the same tooth but on different side of the jaw. For example, the child might be missing both lower first premolars/bicuspids on the right and left bottom, but not on the top.

When this does occur, most dentists will give you the same advice: Do everything you can to take care of and keep the baby tooth so it can maintain the space and function of the missing permanent tooth. This is because it holds the space open for future treatment (if needed), which may otherwise be complicated by loss of the space.

If the tooth cannot be maintained, the dentist may suggest the use of a space maintaining appliance (discussed in the general questions section). There are situations where the baby tooth may actually be better of being extracted. For example, if the child already has abundant crowding, then this may actually alleviate the need for braces.

So, always talk to your dentist or orthodontist about what the best option for your child may be. If the baby tooth is unable to be retained permanently due to looseness or an extensive cavity, there are options to replace the tooth in adulthood if necessary. A few examples of what those options may be are: Dental implants, fixed bridges, denture or retainer with a tooth on it. Again, discuss these options with your dentist and see which one will best suit your child.

Tags: Adulthood, Baby Tooth, Bicuspids, braces, Bridges, Cavity, Dental Implants, Dentist, Dentists, Denture, Looseness, Missing Teeth, orthodontist, Pairs, Permanent Teeth, Permanent Tooth, Questions Section, Retainer, X Rays