5 Possible Reasons Your Child’s Permanent Teeth Aren’t Coming In

When your child gets to the age that they start losing their baby teeth, there can be many questions about the process. One of the most prevalent questions is why their adult teeth are not coming in quickly. Months can go by after they lose a tooth without the new tooth coming in, which can lead to questions about if there is something wrong or if the tooth is completely missing. There are a few reasons permanent teeth may be delayed in arriving,

Lack of Space

The most common reason for an adult tooth to not come in is a lack of space. Generally, baby teeth are smaller than adult teeth. When a single baby tooth comes out, an adult tooth may be impeded by surrounding baby teeth. The solution to this is for neighboring baby teeth to be removed by either waiting for them to get loose and fall out or, in some cases, having them professionally extracted.

Permanent Teeth Coming In The Wrong Way

Although not as common as a lack of space, in some cases permanent teeth come in the wrong way. This is primarily due to the fact that permanent teeth are supposed to follow the same paths that the primal (baby) teeth did. However, in many cases (especially with upper canines) teeth can fail to grow in the right direction. Because of this, they will get trapped under baby teeth that have not fallen out yet. Orthodontics and tooth extraction is the best way to deal with this issue. X-rays can also help determine if your child is having this problem.

Genetics And Gender

The time it takes for teeth to fall out and be replaced is not entirely universal. Although there are general timeframes that most children follow there are factors that might explain why your child is behind schedule. If your teeth took a long time to come in or you need braces to solve orthodontic issues, it is likely your children will as well. Tooth growth also varies between boys and girls. Girls tend to get their adult teeth earlier than boys as they mature quicker.

Nutrition

What your child eats or doesn’t eat has a large impact on the development of their teeth. Teeth require calcium as well as other nutrients that help give them the strength to push through the gum line. This is why milk, vegetables, and other healthy foods are so vital to your child’s diet. Avoiding sugary foods and sodas can also have a positive effect on tooth development.

Impacted Teeth

Using x-rays it is possible to tell if your child has impacted teeth. An impacted tooth is a tooth that is unable to erupt through the gum line due to premature loss of baby teeth of narrow jaws. Without sufficient space, they will stay impacted and not grow up. That is why yearly x-rays can help dentists make sure teeth are developing naturally.

Schedule an Appointment with All Star Dental

At All Star Dental, we provide a variety of dental services for children. If you are concerned about the timeline of your child’s teeth loss and teeth growth, schedule an x-ray appointment with our team and we can help you understand what is going on.