When Does a Child Need to Have a Tooth Extracted?
By Peter Griffith | Published on July 28, 2010 | 0 Comments
Part of being a family dentist is understanding how to properly treat and meet with people of all ages, calm individual nerves, and provide excellent service. As a reputable dentist in Sunnyvale, California, Peter Griffith D.D.S. is an expert on a wide array of dental procedures, including the treatments that take place on even the smallest of patients. Here, Dr. Griffith explains how Griffith Family Dental handles a situation where it appears that a child may need to have a tooth extracted.
Primary Teeth
Generally, Dr. Griffith says, the lower front teeth will be the first ones to become loose and fall out, followed by the top two front teeth. Sometimes, however, you may notice that your child’s permanent teeth are growing into the same space before the primary teeth have fallen out. To make sure that your child’s permanent teeth grow in straight and in the correct places, you should bring him in to your local dentist’s office for an examination. If the dentist concludes that a primary tooth is causing a problem, then he can probably extract the tooth that very same day.
Decay or Damage
Each situation involving a child who has damaged a tooth or is experiencing decay has to be handled by the dentist on a case by case basis, explains Dr. Griffith. The main rule in the industry, however, is that you never want to pull a tooth unless you absolutely have to. It’s important to save the tooth, he continues, because each primary—or baby—tooth holds the place for the permanent tooth while your child’s face continues to grow. If a tooth is pulled prematurely, then it may cause the permanent tooth to grow in crooked.
If a tooth is severely decayed or is knocked out, then the dentist might choose to put in a spacer to hold the place of the lost tooth, which will help prevent the permanent tooth from growing in out of place. Usually, he says, this is only necessary if the tooth will be missing for more than a year or two before the secondary tooth is expected to grow in. The apparatus looks like a small orthodontic wire, Dr. Griffith explains, which is non-removable, except for by a dentist, so that the child cannot accidentally choke.
Even though the experience may seem like it would be traumatic, Dr. Griffith says that children are actually much better in the dental chair than some adults. Only in emergency situations where the child is very young, usually under the age of three, would sedation be deemed necessary for the treatment.
The key is to allow each child to have a great first experience at the dentist, Dr. Griffith explains. The reason why some adults are so fearful is because they had bad experiences at the dentist’s office in the past. But when a child understands that the dentist is his friend and that the process won’t really hurt, he is usually capable of sitting still. The best way to establish this rapport with the dentist, Dr. Griffith says, is to leave the explanation of what is going to happen during the appointment to the staff; don’t try to explain to your child what to expect, as you may end up inadvertently frightening him. Instead, let the experts do their part to put your child’s mind at ease.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.