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Did Her Missing Tooth Cause the Others to Go?

08/13/2010

Question:

I found out yesterday that my 5yr old is missing her bottom two adult teeth. When she was 3yrs old she had one of her bottom baby teeth knocked out of her mouth and brused her bottom jaw bone. Did this cause enough damage to not have her adult teeth grow in that location? I have read some of the other questions on this site relating to missing teeth and all of the kids seem older. I don`t think my daughter understands what is being said about her teeth missing. I would like to get this fixed in some way for her now but know that it can`t be permanent until she is older. When should I see a specialist to get advice on replacing what is missing?

Answer:

Your child could well have suffered damage to her permanent teeth when her primary (baby) teeth were injured at age 3. She should see a pediatric dentist now to evaluate the extent of the injury to her permanent teeth and to plan treatment. 

For more information:

Go to the Healthy Mouth, Healthy Kids health topic.