Baby teeth, which are also the first human teeth, begin to appear in the child’s mouth in the seventh month after birth. These are kept in the oral cavity until the age of 6-7 years, when gradual apoptosis begins and their replacement with permanent ones. Baby teeth are important because they help children chew normally, speak clearly, and guide the permanent teeth on the path they need to take until they erupt.

The prolonged stay of a baby tooth may cause the obstruction of the eruption of a permanent tooth, resulting in orthodontic problems. The reasons why a child’s tooth remains in the oral cavity are when:

  • There is no successor permanent tooth, so the organism keeps the baby one intentionally.
  • The root of the new tooth has not been absorbed, so it cannot fall to allow the successor tooth to come to the surface.
  • The permanent tooth is angled into the bone and thus cannot exert the proper pressure on the overlying baby teeth to initiate root absorption.

So if a baby tooth remains:

  • It can cause the corresponding permanent tooth to be impacted.
  • It cannot let the successor tooth erupt due to insufficient space and may be forced to come down crookedly.
  • To come out behind the new tooth, because the permanent tooth is looking for an alternative appearance and space.
  • In the last two cases, the baby tooth can be removed and fixed or mobile orthodontic appliances can be placed to push the permanent tooth into place. So watch out for the baby teeth that remain in the oral cavity!

Tip: With a simple x-ray, the orthodontist examines the root of the baby tooth and then he/she can diagnose if there is actually a problem or if the kid is developing slowly.

The radiographic criterion by which the extraction of the child’s tooth is decided, is the absorption of its root and the formation of the emerging permanent tooth at least by half, and of course not its mobility! At Great Smile orthodontic clinic we offer Pediatric dentistry services for the maintenance of kids’ oral health. We also provide parents with important information that they need to know!