Over 50? Keeping Up With Your Healthcare Needs

Two Rare Dental Conditions That Could Plague Your Child In The Future

4 June 2015

Nellie Ryan

Just because your child grows primary teeth, it doesn't mean that there won't be issues with their permanent teeth later on. Regular visits to the dentist are essential so a dentist can check to see that your child's teeth are healthy and that rare oral issues can be discovered sooner rather than later. The following guide walks you through a couple rare dental issues your child may face.  

Lack of Permanent Teeth

When your child goes to the dentist, X-rays are done to determine how your child's teeth are growing. The dentist can look at the X-rays to determine if your child has the roots needed to grow permanent teeth. If the dentist notices that your child does not have any roots for permanent teeth, he or she suffers from a rare condition called Anodontia. When your child loses his or her primary teeth, no permanent teeth will grow in their place. Your child may need to wear dentures in order to be able to live a fulfilling life without teeth. The dentist may suggest pulling all remaining teeth at one time or suggest allowing the teeth to fall out on their own over time. It is up to you to choose which option you think is best for your child.

A Few Missing Teeth

If your dentist tells you that your child is missing the roots for a few of their teeth, he or she may be suffering from hypodontia and oligodontia. You have the option to allow your child to use a flipper, have a bridge put into place, or have a dental implant put into their mouth to remedy the situation.

The flipper is a small device that is formed to fit your child's mouth the same way a retainer is. A false tooth is created to fill the space that is left where the permanent teeth did not grow. A flipper can be taken in and out of your child's mouth at any time.

The bridge has the false tooth attached to it. The bridge is then attached to the remaining teeth in your child's mouth to create a permanent fix for the problem.

A dental implant stays in your child's mouth permanently by having a screw drilled into their gum. The false tooth attaches to the screw so that no one can tell the tooth is not real.   

If your child is only missing a few roots for teeth, you may have to wait until all of their permanent teeth, or at least the teeth adjacent to their missing teeth, come into place to have anything done to remedy the situation. You do not want to have a bridge attached to primary teeth because they will fall out of your child's mouth eventually, making the process a complete waste of time and money.

Visit a site like http://sharpsmile.com if you're looking to see what kinds of procedures and dental work certain dentists offer and focus on.

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