As family dentists, we are here to help patients of all ages manage their oral health. We primarily work with families at our five locations throughout the Chicago area. Because of this, we often get to help kids and teens transition from their primary teeth (baby teeth) to their adult teeth. And this can lead to lots of questions for both the kids and their parents. In this guide, we will answer a few of those common questions. If you have specific questions about your kids’ oral health and dental development, we highly recommend asking their dentist. For families living in Chicago, you can easily set up an appointment with one of our five offices.
We get this question a lot from young parents. They will be picking their kids up from daycare or setting up playdates with children around the same age and notice that while their child has two teeth, a child the same age or even a few months younger already has eight teeth. This is completely normal. Children’s teeth erupt, fall out, and get replaced on their own schedules. This is why we provide date ranges for when it is normal for children to get their new teeth. We actually have a full guide about tooth eruption timelines that provides some more information.
No one wants to find out they have a cavity. And for parents, learning their child has a cavity in one of their baby teeth might cause a quick question to pop up in their minds: “Do we really need to fill a tooth that is going to fall out and be replaced by a permanent tooth?” The answer is often yes. Dental decay spreads over time, and unless that tooth is going to fall out tomorrow, it is often best to clean away the decay and fill the tooth. Otherwise, that decay could impact the nearby teeth, gum tissue, the permanent tooth on its way up, and lead to severe dental symptoms, including toothaches. You can learn more about the importance of baby teeth in this article.
Unfortunately, humans are not sharks, and we only have two sets of teeth. As kids, we have twenty baby teeth, and as adults we have 28 adult teeth (32 if you count wisdom teeth). If an adult tooth is knocked out because of an injury or has to be extracted due to dental decay, you will need a prosthetic replacement like a dental bridge. This is why preventive care is so important to your oral health. Seeing your dentist twice a year, especially as an adult, can help you keep your adult teeth long-term.
The best way to get specific answers to questions you have about either your own dental health or your kids’ dental health is to see a dentist. Here in Chicago, we have five separate offices that work with patients of all ages. Contact one of our teams to schedule an appointment.
