Changeable bite - dystopia and crowding of teeth

Timing of baby teeth loss

The primary bite is formed during the period of active jaw growth. In this regard, already at the age of 3-4 years, three spaces should be formed - interdental spaces, which are necessary to ensure the physiological displacement of teeth during their replacement, the correct location of the erupting permanent teeth in the dentition.

By the age of five, children begin to experience, and then steadily progress, loosening of their teeth. This process is due to the gradual resorption of the roots of baby teeth, the place of which in the jaw is taken by the rudiments of permanent teeth moving towards the edge of the gum. When the time comes, the loose tooth falls out, and a permanent one should begin to emerge in its place within 2-3 weeks.

The entire period of mixed dentition requires increased attention from parents and specialists to the condition of the child’s oral cavity. Any pathological changes can lead to impaired teething, the formation of occlusion anomalies, crowding of teeth and other changes. Ideally, at the age of 5-6 years, you should visit the dentist every 2-3 months.

How to determine that a child will soon have molars?

According to some of the signs, interdental intervals initially increase. This happens due to the growth of the jaw bones - the teeth begin to not fit tightly together, as happens in adults. Then the temporary teeth gradually become loose - due to the gradual disappearance of the temporary root, which can no longer reliably hold such a tooth, and itself is gradually pushed out of the soft and semi-soft tissues on the jaw. The loss of a temporary tooth is a clear sign that the permanent tooth is already growing in full force, and the top of its crown will soon push apart the gum tissue. The appearance of a new tooth is also accompanied by slight redness and swelling. If a child or teenager has a fever, their health has worsened, and their gums hurt, go to the doctor immediately.

What is the danger of premature loss of baby teeth?

Trauma, caries and other dental diseases can cause the loss of a baby tooth. In place of the tooth there remains a “gap” in the dentition, which can cause significant disturbances in the formation of a permanent bite:

crowding or crowding of teeth;
dystopia of the tooth, when it erupts outside the dentition;
horizontal overjet or excessive overlap of the lower front teeth with the upper ones;
overbite or changing the distance between the chewing surfaces of opposing teeth in the vertical plane.

At the initial stage, changes may be minor. However, over time they begin to progress rapidly.

If a baby tooth is lost prematurely, then it is advisable to “close” the defect in the dentition that has formed in its place with a removable denture. Most often, so-called immediate dentures are used, which in private conversations dentists may call “clothespins.”

It is not only the fact of tooth loss that matters, but also the reason why it happened. Preventing childhood injuries is a good thing, but not always 100% effective. But in terms of prevention and treatment, caries is much simpler. If you consult a doctor in a timely manner, initial changes in the enamel can be eliminated with the help of special gels and varnishes, and emerging carious cavities can be cleaned and filled without the use of a drill.

It is not recommended to leave caries unattended, as these are not just black spots on the teeth. This is primarily a breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms, an infection whose toxic effect on the body can lead to serious consequences. A reliable connection between caries and pathology of the kidneys and digestive system has been established. Changing teeth cannot solve the problem of caries in a child. Milk and permanent teeth “neighbor” each other for a long time, which increases the likelihood of damage to permanent teeth by the carious process.

When do the first teeth usually appear?

There is a so-called scheme for the eruption of baby teeth, which is only conditional. The chronological framework was designated by specialists based on average values, i.e. without taking into account the individual characteristics of the child. According to the general scheme, teeth erupt as follows:

The lower central incisors appear at 6-7 months
Upper central incisors - at 8-9 months
Upper lateral incisors - at 9-11 months
Lower lateral incisors - at 11-13 months
Upper and lower first molars - at 12-15 months
Fangs - at 18-20 months
Second molars - up to 30 months

You can rely on this scheme, but you shouldn’t emulate it. Dentists and pediatricians admit that some children may begin to erupt their first teeth only by 9 months, and this is normal. In girls, as a rule, this process occurs a little earlier than in boys.

Sometimes, due to individual characteristics, teeth begin to cut later, but soon new ones appear at a high speed, and by a certain age the child can already boast of two rows of snow-white teeth. Typically, by the age of 3, all 20 teeth have erupted.

Impaired eruption of permanent teeth

Parents should start to worry if there are no signs of eruption of a permanent tooth after the loss of a primary tooth for 5 or more weeks. There are several reasons why permanent teeth are “late” to appear:

Adverse effects on the fetus and newborn baby. What matters are the damaging factors that affected the developing organism during pregnancy and in the first year of life. Illnesses of the mother and child, past infections, taking certain medications, and the consequences of birth trauma can prolong the eruption of permanent teeth.
Absence or damage of a permanent tooth germ. The formation of teeth occurs in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. As a rule, under the influence of unfavorable factors, the formation of an entire group or groups of teeth is disrupted. In this case, after the baby teeth fall out, there is no need to wait for permanent teeth to appear. Damage to the tooth germ is in most cases the result of careless dental treatment.
Incorrect position of the tooth germ in the jaw bone. If the rudiment is located too deep in the tissues, oriented horizontally and not vertically, then tooth eruption will be difficult, if not impossible.

There are no external symptoms by which one could judge the cause of the disorder. You can only conduct an examination, based on the data of which a treatment plan is drawn up. For this, the child must be shown to the dentist. Perhaps, already at this stage, he will offer a consultation with a pediatric orthodontist, who, in turn, will prescribe treatment - orthodontic plates or a more modern and convenient method - aligners.

Crooked teeth

If permanent teeth begin to grow unevenly, you need to come for a consultation with an orthodontist at the A-Medic Network of Medical Clinics as soon as possible. The sooner such a decision is made, the easier it will be for the dentist to correct their growth. An incorrect bite is not only inconvenient, it can lead to the development of a number of diseases, for example, caries, stomach diseases, and cause childhood and teenage complexes and psychological problems.

The easiest way to straighten your jaw is to wear braces. It is very important for parents, together with the attending physician, to explain to the child that temporary inconveniences when using braces are justified and will bring invaluable benefits in the future. You need to take good care of it, because it will stay in your mouth for at least six months. This design will work most effectively during adolescence. Small children can more easily tolerate plates or trainers, which look something like boxing mouthguards, rather than braces. Children's enamel is quite delicate, so trainers that do not damage it will be the best way to correct a child's malocclusion.

What can be done to improve the situation

If you find that your child has lost a baby tooth and a new one is not growing, you can influence the process of tooth development. Firstly, care must be taken to ensure that an infectious disease does not develop. Secondly, it is necessary to develop the child’s diet in such a way that he has enough vitamins and calcium. If there is an injury to the oral cavity, you must contact a medical facility. It is necessary to promptly restore the functionality of the gums even before the development of molars. If we are talking about a complex case, then radical treatment methods will be required.

Only a dentist can determine at what stage of development a particular molar is. Remember that the front baby teeth of the lower row must fall out first.

If the cause of the pathology is an infectious disease, it is necessary to restore the child’s immune system. It is also advisable for the baby not to worry and avoid stress.

Prosthetics

Typically, older children are referred for prosthetics. After all, doctors need to wait until the child’s jaw is formed. This will allow you to do the procedure once and not have to perform repeated manipulations. If adentia is characteristic of only one tooth, this does not mean that others will not erupt. It is important not to panic, since modern medicine can cope with the problem without consequences for health. Thanks to this, the child will be able to lead a normal life.

When there is a need to go to the clinic

Parents should know in which cases it is necessary to visit a doctor’s office in order to be able to respond in a timely manner and provide proper assistance to the child.

If a toddler's tooth falls out and the wound is bleeding for more than 10 minutes, this is a reason to seek help from a specialist. It is possible that the baby has problems with clotting.
If the child is already 8 years old, and he is still the happy owner of all milk teeth. It is possible that he will still have them, but consultation is necessary.
In the case when a child’s tooth falls out early, for example due to injury, it falls unsuccessfully and the tooth falls out. The doctor can install a temporary denture so that the child’s bite does not become disturbed due to the missing tooth.
After the timely loss of a baby tooth, the molar does not erupt for more than three months.
The baby experiences all the symptoms of tooth eruption, but it never appears, and this whole process causes a lot of anxiety and even pain.
Teeth begin to fall out frequently, literally one after another, and permanent teeth never appear.
It never hurts to visit the dentist. The doctor will be able to determine whether the teeth are growing correctly, whether they are crooked, identify caries at an early stage and prescribe treatment to prevent complications, including those affecting the growth of the molar.

Which doctor should I contact?

When molars do not erupt for a long time, you can contact both a pediatrician and a dentist, whichever is more convenient and comfortable for you. If the problem turns out to be beyond the scope of a specific specialist, you will be redirected to another. So, for example, if the problem is the presence of congenital adentia or retention, the dentist will handle it himself, and if it’s a violation of metabolic processes in the body, the pediatrician will figure it out and prescribe the appropriate recommendations, and if necessary, refer you to an endocrinologist, if your clinic has such a specialist.

If your baby needs dental retainers or develops an abnormal bite, you will need to see an orthodontist.

Who to turn to for help

If your child has lost a baby tooth and a new one is not growing, he may have a metabolic disorder. It is best to contact your pediatrician to prescribe the appropriate examinations and tests. Further, long-term hospital therapy will be required if we are talking about a complex case. If necessary, the doctor will write out a referral to an orthodontist. This specialist will install dental plates and also explain why the baby tooth has fallen out and the permanent tooth has not grown in for a certain time.