Last week on Facebook, we asked our fans if they had any questions about kids and their teeth. One fan asked:
My child's top front baby tooth fell out 3 months ago. Why is the permanent tooth taking so long to come in?
There are actually a few reasons that a permanent tooth may take longer to erupt. A common reason is that the baby tooth root resorbed a bit early, causing the baby tooth to fall out early. This means the permanent tooth is not late in erupting, but the baby tooth was just early in falling out. Another less common reason is that something may be hindering/ blocking a tooth from erupting. Your dentist can take a radiograph to check for a mesiodens (i.e. an extra tooth), root remnant, or something else that may be blocking or slowing eruption of the permanent tooth.
If you are concerned about a permanent tooth coming in, please make an appointment. As your pediatric dentist in Tucson, we can find a specific answer for your child.
About Northwest Children's Pediatric Dentists
Dr. Norman Bunch and Dr. Jennifer Marshall are a husband and wife team providing general dentistry for kids in Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Oracle, and surrounding areas. Northwest Children's Dentistry provides top-notch care for toddlers, children, teens, and special needs children as your local Tucson dentist. If you’re looking for a kids dentist in Tucson, contact us today!