Think about how many times per day you rely on your teeth. You use them to chew breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You press your tongue against them to make certain sounds when you speak. There's really no doubt about it — your teeth are important, and they deserve your respect. You can pay them that respect by visiting your dentist for regular cleaning and checkup appointments. You should also call at the first sign of dental pain, tooth discoloration, or other oral health changes. Read more about dentists and dentistry here on this blog, where we dive deep into related topics.
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Children all lose their baby teeth sooner or later. Most often, everything goes just fine, according to nature's way. The baby tooth falls out, an adult one erupts in its place, and your child keeps on growing up. Sometimes, however, there are situations that arise during this process that do warrant care from a pediatric dentist. Here are some of those situations.
Your child loses a tooth too early.
Most kids lose their baby teeth beginning around the age of 6. Some lose their first tooth late in their 5th year, and it's not unusual for kids to wait until they are 7 to lose their teeth, either. However, if your child loses a tooth at the age of 4, or even when they have just turned five, you should contact the pediatric dentist. There may be nothing wrong and your child may just be an "early bloomer," but early tooth loss can lead to issues with jaw bone and muscle development in some cases, so it's wise to check with a dentist just to be sure.
Your child is not losing teeth.
If your child is partway through their 7th year and has not yet lost a tooth, it is a good idea to make an appointment with the dentist. Again, there might be nothing wrong at all — but there is also a small possibility that your child suffers from a condition called anodontia, in which they do not have a full set of adult teeth. Without these adult teeth shifting into place, the baby teeth do not always fall out as they should. Your dentist can take X-rays of your child's mouth to confirm that the adult teeth are present.
Your child lost a tooth, but no adult tooth is erupting.
The adult tooth does not always appear immediately after the baby tooth is lost. Sometimes it takes two, three, or even four weeks. But if it has been a month or longer, it's wise to have the dentist take a look. The adult tooth could be missing, or it could be improperly located and trying to erupt in the wrong spot. Again, this can be confirmed with a simple, painless X-ray.
Every person has to go through the process of losing their baby teeth. This can be a little scary for kids, but they soon adapt. Just keep an eye on the process, and get in touch with a pediatric dentist if you have any questions or concerns.
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