Why does my child need a tooth extraction
It may not happen at the same time for every child, but at some point, their primary teeth are going to fall out and the permanent teeth are going to erupt. In many cases, a child will lose their teeth at the right time, and their adult teeth will come in with no dental interventions. While that scenario is ideal, sometimes a primary tooth may need to be removed in the office.
There are a couple of different reasons why your child need a tooth extraction:
- The tooth won’t fall out on its own
If your child has an adult tooth in place that’s about to erupt, and the primary tooth shows no signs of loosening, the primary tooth may have to be removed. If left on its own the adult tooth may come in crooked, or it may damage the primary tooth on its way out, causing further issues. It’s very important that the adult teeth come in correctly. If they don’t, corrective orthodontic action will be needed further down the line. Far better to nip a dental problem in the bud than wait for it to develop into a bigger issue.
- Overcrowding
Adult teeth are much larger than primary teeth. It normally isn’t a problem, as the adult teeth come in slowly over time ; the child grows, their mouth gets bigger, there’s more room for adult teeth! If the child has an adult tooth ready to erupt and the tooth it is replacing is already gone, but there still isn’t enough room for the adult tooth, a neighboring tooth may need to be removed to insure that the adult tooth comes in correctly.
- Tooth decay/Trauma
When it comes to primary teeth, depending on the age of the child, and the severity of the decay, sometimes a tooth extraction is easier than filling a cavity. If it’s a very young child whose adult teeth are a long way off, more than likely they’ll need a filling. A child with a fully formed adult tooth ready to erupt? Extracting the damaged tooth makes more sense than repairing a tooth they’re about to lose. This is also the case for trauma. If a child sustains a dental injury (for example, cracking a tooth during a sports event) they will need an extraction.
If you have questions or concerns about your child needing a tooth extraction, call Dr. Chauvin’s office. We will get you scheduled and see if an extraction is the best course of action for your child!
