Many parents bring their children to Triangle Pediatric Dentistry and wonder whether all of their baby teeth will be replaced. When your child is around 6 years old, the roots on their lower front baby teeth will start to dissolve as their new adult or permanent teeth grow. When this happens, their baby teeth will loosen and wiggle for a bit of time before they actually fall out.
Your child’s baby teeth serve as a guide for their permanent teeth which will start to appear on and off until approximately age 12. When your child is around 12 years old, you can expect all of their permanent teeth to be in with the exception of their wisdom teeth. Although baby teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth, they are very important for the positioning of the permanent teeth as well as the development of the jaw.
It’s important to understand that since the role of baby teeth is to guide the permanent teeth into the correct positions in your child’s mouth, any baby teeth that are missing or lost prematurely may need to have their natural space open through a special device known as a space maintainer.
Space maintainers are custom-made and can be removable or cemented into a child’s mouth. Although it may take a child several days to get accustomed to wearing a space maintainer, they will eventually get used to it and find that the device will allow their permanent teeth to erupt.
Contact Triangle Pediatric Dentistry Today
Are you interested in learning more about your child’s baby teeth and how they transition into permanent teeth? If so, do not hesitate to contact Triangle Pediatric Dentistry at 919-435-7660. In an appointment, Dr. Buddy and his team will be more than happy to educate you and your child on baby teeth vs. permanent teeth. Additionally, we will assist your child in losing their baby teeth and growing their permanent teeth.