A Couple of weeks ago, my five year old son started to get his first wobbly teeth! Well, two to be precise! In case you didn't know, the two middle ones at the bottom are the first baby teeth to get wobbly usually around the age of 5 or 6. The top ones usually follow suit after about the age of 7.
Imagine my surprise then, when one evening I'm brushing my son's teeth and see two adult incisors pushing their way through his gums...... BEHIND his baby teeth! As a parent, a hundred questions go through your mind.... Is this normal? Will his baby teeth fall out? Aren't the adult teeth supposed to push the baby teeth out? Well that can't happen now can it?! Will my child's teeth grow straight? Will the same thing happen with all his teeth?
Luckily for me, I work for an excellent Private Dental Practice, and took my son along to see one of the dentists there. She reassured me that there was nothing to worry about and that this phenomena is actually far more common than you think. Apparently this happens in about 1 in 10 children. Usually the deciduous teeth (baby teeth) start to become loose as their roots start to dissolve. The teeth usually then eventually fall out as the adult teeth grow through and push them out.
In the case of "Shark's Teeth" as it is quite often referred to, the adult teeth are unable to push out those baby teeth. In my son's case however, and in most other cases, his front teeth are already wobbly as the roots are dissolving. Between us we are regularly giving nature a helping hand by trying to wobble them a bit more! Hopefully between us in the next few weeks we can have the Tooth Fairy on stand by! In some cases. the baby teeth don't get wobbly, and may need to be extracted by the dentist but this will be a last resort.
I am also suitable reassured by our dentist, that once the baby teeth are out of the way those adult teeth will find their own way into the front of the mouth and assume their correct position! Also, just because this has happened with his first teeth, it does not necessarily follow that it will happen with the others.
I await with anticipation.....
In the meantime, my son, rather than being frightened by such an event, is intrigued and even excited, showing anyone who shows an interest in his Shark's Teeth!
For further information or advice contact College Street Dental Centre in Petersfield, Hampshire on 01730 263180
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