A Mom’s Concern About Her Child Losing a Baby Tooth too Early
A Patient Asks Edmonton Pediatric Dentist, Dr. Molly Rodgers:
My son is almost 2 1/2 years old and due to a previous injury to his front tooth, the nerve started growing out the back of the tooth. So, a few weeks ago, he had to have it pulled. It wasn’t bothering him at all; actually it was just luck that I even noticed it at all. Since he is so young I’m worried about a few things: (1) A slight speech issue because his tongue tends to go to the empty space now when he talks.
(2) The other teeth crowding or moving into the empty space creating problems when his adult teeth start growing in.
(3) The general appearance of him now… lol it’s SO hard to get used to seeing my 2 yr old with a tooth missing. Please Help!
Answer from The Tooth Fairy, Dr. Molly Rodgers, Edmonton General Dentist: Losing a front baby tooth to trauma is very common. Someone once told me that while kids are learning to walk it looks like the floor is on a slant – this lack of stability creates a multitude of opportunity for injury, as any parent can attest to. My dental assistant’s daughter fell at a very young age and knocked out four of her lower front teeth! She is now 6 and has them all in. That was way harder on her mom and dad than it was on her! Your concerns are also very common, so let’s address them. First, you mentioned that his tongue tends to go to the empty space when he talks. This is usually a temporary habit and will likely resolve when he gets the permanent tooth in or his tongue gets used to the space. Your second concern is that the other teeth will move into this space and create crowding issues. This is not a concern in the front. (This is more of a concern with baby teeth in the back). Your third concern is with how your 2 year old looks without a front tooth. This does take some getting used to. He will likely be without a front tooth for three to four years. Some parents will get their dentist to make a small appliance that is bonded in and has a small plastic tooth in the place of the missing tooth. I have even heard of baby dentures. Both of these would be difficult for someone as young as your son. But it is an option if you just can’t get used to his toothless grin. A concern that you didn’t mention is that in a majority of trauma cases, the developing adult tooth will get damaged. The chances of this are very high before the age of 2 and go down as the child reaches age 5 to 6. However at this point there is not anything we can do about this so you just have to wait until the adult tooth comes in. Usually once the child is able to hold still for an x-ray, we will take one to see if there is any obvious damage. I hope this answers some of your concerns. We would be thrilled to see your little guy if there were any other questions you may have. Initial consultations are free at our office. References: www.Oralanswers.com www.cyberdentist.blogspot.com www.americandentalassociation.com