If you look inside your child’s mouth and notice adult teeth are growing behind their baby teeth, you may be worried and tempted to call the dentist for emergency care. It’s important to understand that while you should visit the dentist eventually so that they can evaluate your child’s teeth, this is not an emergency.
In most cases, as permanent teeth push up, baby tooth roots dissolve and the baby tooth eventually falls out. When this happens, there is room for the permanent teeth to grow in. However, sometimes, the baby teeth do not want to leave a child’s mouth and the permanent teeth grow in right behind them.
If your child is dealing with this, encourage them to wiggle their baby tooth out if it’s loose enough. In the event the tooth is not loose at all, you may have to visit the dentist and determine whether the tooth will need to be extracted.
You can wait until your next checkup to do this. If you do become concerned, however, feel free to call your dentist sooner to figure out your child’s treatment plan. Once your child’s baby tooth comes out, their tongue will naturally push their permanent tooth forward to the proper position.
If your child does not have room for the permanent tooth, even when the baby tooth is out, they may be facing a severe case of crowding. In this case, they will likely need to visit the orthodontist.
Schedule an Appointment at Wainright & Wassel Today
There is no reason to panic if your child’s adult teeth grow in behind their baby teeth. Simply call our office today at 919-847-1322 and schedule an appointment so that one of our dentists can check out your child’s mouth and let you know how to proceed.