Does My Child Need Baby Tooth Extraction?
Aren’t sure if your child needs baby tooth extraction? You’re not alone. Many of our patients’ parents are concerned about how pediatric dentists in Canton, Dearborn, and Livonia are here to help!will affect their children’s oral health. Fortunately, our
We understand that you want what’s best for your child, which is why we’ve outlined the most common reasons a child would need baby tooth extraction and what you can do as a parent to prepare. Please contact us if you have any additional questions.. Continue reading to learn if your child needs
Your Child's Baby Teeth
At What Age Do Children Lose Teeth?
In general, you can expect your child to start losing their baby teeth around 6 to 7 years of age. The first baby teeth to fall out are typically the central incisors, which are the upper front teeth. As your child grows, they’ll continue to lose their baby teeth until they reach around 12 years of age. At this point, your child should have all their permanent adult teeth.
It’s important to understand that there is a natural variation for when children start to lose baby teeth and get their permanent ones. However, if you notice significant discrepancies in your child’s oral development, we recommend scheduling an appointment for your child to see one of our pediatric dentists. Our pediatric dentists will be able to determine whether the discrepancies are due to crowded, impacted, or even missing permanent teeth.
Is it Necessary to Pull Out Baby Teeth?
Since each child’s oral health care needs are different, it’s important to take them to see one of our pediatric dentists. Our pediatric dentists will thoroughly evaluate your child’s teeth and jaw development to help them achieve a beautiful healthy smile. You can trust our pediatric dentists to look out for your child’s best interests, which may involve recommending baby tooth extraction.
Does an Infected Baby Tooth Have to be Pulled?
If your child has an infected baby tooth, we may be able to perform a pulpotomy nerve treatment. Dental pulp is the innermost layer of your child’s baby tooth, which is made of living tissue. However, your child will need a pulpotomy nerve treatment once a cavity is deep enough to infect this dental pulp.
A pulpotomy is typically performed on a baby molar and is similar to a root canal, except the tooth roots aren’t removed. This “baby root canal” will save your child’s tooth until the permanent one is ready to erupt. If your child’s baby tooth is damaged beyond repair, we’ll extract it as a last resort and place a space maintainer. A space maintainer is an oral appliance that keeps the space open until the adult tooth is ready to erupt through the gum line.
Our pediatric dentists only remove baby teeth when absolutely necessary and will keep you apprised of what is best for your child’s oral health. To request an appointment with one of our Dearborn; Livonia; or Canton, MI pediatric dentists, call Children’s Dental Care today. We look forward to seeing you!