There are a variety of reasons a child’s teeth might not fall out on schedule or come-in on schedule. One thing that can be very confusing for both parents and kids is when a baby tooth falls out and the adult tooth doesn’t come in for a long period of time. A kid might be concerned that the tooth is never coming in, and a parent might worry as well. But, one thing to always be aware of is that often times teeth fall out and come-in on different schedules for different kids. In this article, we will go over why a permanent tooth might not come-in as well as when to contact a dentist. If you are worried about your child’s teeth, the best option is to always work with your dentist. If you live in the Chicago area, give us a call for more information.
Adult teeth come-in at different points for different children. On average adult teeth usually come-in shortly after the primary (baby) tooth falls out.
These are just averages and even if the teeth fallout the next tooth might not come-in right away. Generally speaking, it is common for all of the teeth (except the wisdom teeth) to come by the time a child is age 13. Girls’ teeth sometimes erupt faster that boys’ teeth, but still it is common for all of the adult teeth to have erupted by the time your child becomes a teenager. Here are a few reasons that the next tooth might not come-in right away.
While there is a natural process for a tooth to get loose, start wiggling, and fall out, it is possible to lose primary teeth prematurely. An injury while playing on the playground or riding a bike could cause a front tooth to get knocked out at a young age. The adult tooth underneath that primary tooth might not come-in until months to years later depending on when the baby tooth is knocked out.
Another reason that a permanent tooth might not come in is that the other surrounding teeth are in the way. For example if your child’s front baby tooth falls out but the surrounding incisors are blocking the adult tooth, the adult tooth might not come-in until the other surrounding teeth fall out. If you are worried about your child’s teeth the best option is to contact your dentist and meet with them to discuss. You should never try to force out a baby tooth, and a dentist can always use x-rays to make sure everything is alright.
If you live in the Chicago area and want to set up a dental appointment for when of your kids, give us a call. We would be happy to set up an appointment for you or anyone in your family.
