Your Child is Missing Their Adult Teeth…..What Treatment is Needed?

It is actually more common than most of us realize to have children missing some of their adult teeth.  Missing adult teeth is a common developmental problem with children.  When a child is missing one or more of their adult teeth, typically a family member is also missing one or more of their adult teeth.  This is due to a mutated gene during development.  Statistically, 3.4% of the populations missing their second premolars.  Also, 2.5% of the population is missing their upper lateral teeth.  It is rare to have missing baby teeth in general.  A good rule of thumb is if a baby tooth is missing during eruption, the corresponding adult tooth will also be missing.  This can be frustrating for parents as there are several options to choose from when it comes to their child missing their adult teeth.  In this blog I am going to review treatment options for congenitally missing teeth.

Treatment Options:

1. Retain deciduous (baby) tooth:

It is common for dentists to recommend to patients to retain their baby tooth during the developmental years of childhood.  The deciduous tooth maintains the spacing between the teeth so that when development and growth is completed in the later teenage years, there are better options for permanent replacement.

2. Removal of deciduous tooth:

Depending on if your child will need orthodontics it may be recommended that the tooth be removed.  Here at my Riverside Biological Family dental office, we collaborate with our referring orthodontic specialist on the removal and replacement of deciduous teeth.  At times, the removal of the deciduous tooth is all that is needed for the orthodontist to maneuver the teeth and bite into a proper position.

3. Removable Prosthetic:

If the deciduous tooth is being removed for cosmetic purposes in the smile line, then a removable appliance is made.  The “flipper” is used as a removable temporary device to conceal the extraction area and a ceramic tooth is made to fill the space.  This device is typically only worn until the final restoration of the area is complete.

4.  Fixed Bridge:

A great option once your child has fully developed or has completed orthodontics is a fixed bridge.  A bridge consists of a porcelain tooth in the area where the tooth once was along with shaving the adjacent teeth down and placing porcelain crowns on top of the teeth.  All of the teeth would be connected with porcelain thus a bridge is formed.  These can be tricky to keep clean.  Also, the bone surrounding the adjacent teeth can be lost much more quickly do to the weakened structure.

5. Placement of an Implant:

This is the option that I prefer as a dentist when it comes to the removal and replacement of deciduous teeth.  Implants help retain the bone structure surrounding the area where the tooth was removed as well as around the adjacent teeth.  Your child is best served when it comes to bone retention, especially in the smile line.  Implants last a lifetime as a general rule and are the best from a cosmetic standpoint.

For a consultation on the best treatment options for yourself or your child please call (951)686-3666.  Please visit my dental office which specializes in cosmetic implant placement.