Why aren’t my child’s permanent teeth coming In? There are few events that embody childhood milestones more than that of losing a tooth. Young children eagerly, and often impatiently, wait for their chance to put a tooth under their pillow to receive a treat from their parents. These moments are just as special for parents as they mark their child’s journey towards becoming a big kid. A good dentist will know everything there is to know about this.
Let’s Begin
Your children’s dentist or school may have provided you with a chart indicating when your child’s adult teeth should erupt. However, what happens when your child’s permanent teeth don’t seem to be coming in on schedule?
It can be quite alarming for a child to not have their teeth loosen as they watch classmates lose teeth on schedule.
Let’s take a look at the facts behind the adult tooth eruption timetable, reasons adult teeth are not erupting, as well as steps you can take.
Reasons Your Child’s Adult Teeth May Not be Coming in:
- It’s simply not time for the teeth to erupt
- The primary teeth are crowded
- The adult tooth is impacted
- Shark Tooth
- The tooth is not properly aligned
- There is a nutritional deficiency
- Supernumerary teeth
- The adult tooth failed to develop
- Your child is not obese
When Should Your Child Lose Their Teeth?
Primary teeth, or baby teeth, stay in place until they are displaced by adult teeth. Inaccurate and inconsistent timetables for when adult teeth should erupt cause undue worry for parents who may be relying on these timetables and foggy memories of losing their own teeth to judge when their child’s baby teeth should be falling out.
Timetables are a guide and aren’t necessarily set in stone. Factors such as genetics, gender, and other variables like oral health determine when the new teeth will arrive. The order in which baby teeth erupt is also the order that adult teeth erupt. Here is a general guideline for when adult teeth should erupt:
Lower Teeth
Central incisor: 6-7 years
Lateral incisor: 7-8 years
Canine (cuspid): 9-12 years
First molar: 9-11 years
Second molar: 10-12 years
Upper Teeth
Central incisor: 6-7 years
Lateral incisor: 7-8 years
Canine (cuspid): 10-12 years
First molar: 9-11 years
Second molar: 10-12 years
Reasons Permanent Teeth Aren’t Coming In?
If your child’s age is beyond what is listed in the timetable above and their adult teeth are still not erupting, it’s time to consider some common reasons why this could be occurring.
Crowding or Impacted Teeth
If there is little space between your child’s teeth this could result in their adult teeth lacking enough room to erupt properly. Even when there is enough room, sometimes adult teeth don’t grow in aligned with the primary teeth. As a result, the primary teeth may not loosen and could need to be removed.
Impacted teeth occur when a tooth is stuck in the bone or gums erupting partially or not at all. Not having enough room can lead to impacted teeth that can give the illusion that no adult teeth are present. An x-ray may be necessary to determine if crowding or an impacted tooth is involved.
Shark Teeth
It may be that your child’s adult teeth are in fact coming in but they are hidden behind primary teeth. This phenomenon is known as shark teeth. This is a result of crowding which prevents the new teeth from being aligned properly to push out the primary teeth as they erupt. Shark teeth have a layered appearance just as real shark teeth have.
Shark teeth can resolve on their own if the primary teeth fall out. However, if the primary teeth are firmly in place they may need to be extracted in order to allow the adult to align and grow in fully. Because the teeth may not shift back into the correct alignment after the primary teeth have fallen out, further orthodontic care may be needed to straighten the adult teeth.
Not Aligned
Another issue that can arise from crowding, but isn’t exclusive to it, is when adult teeth grow in the wrong direction. If teeth aren’t aligned it can result in a cessation of adult teeth eruption.
Nutrition Deficiency
Lacking the proper minerals and vitamins can cause a delay or can altogether halt tooth growth. Sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D are needing to ensure optimal tooth development. You may already know that calcium plays a key role in oral health but not getting enough vitamin D could render your calcium intake fruitless. If a vitamin D deficiency is present then the body cannot absorb adequate amounts of calcium.
Hyperdontia
Also known as supernumerary teeth, hyperdontia occurs when a child grows more than the regular number of teeth. These teeth can grow in any area of the mouth, although they are most commonly found in the mouth’s arch. A dentist can determine if hyperdontia is the cause of your child’s delayed growth of adult teeth.
Hypodontia
Opposite of supernumerary teeth is a condition known as hypodontia. This occurs when primary or adult teeth fail to develop. Hypodontia is not common in primary teeth but can be the cause of adult teeth not erupting.
Obesity
Childhood obesity factors into how quickly teeth develop. According to a 2012 study, children who are obese tend to develop adult at a faster rate than non-obese children. If your child is thin don’t be surprised if their adult teeth erupt much later than their obese classmates of relatives.
Conclusion
There are multiple reasons why your child’s permanent teeth aren’t erupting and timing plays a significant part. While there are some things you can do resolve these issues such as improving diet, your children’s dentist is best equipped to manage these issues. It’s best to catch problems that may require orthodontic intervention early on. Don’t wait in consulting your children’s dentist if their permanent teeth aren’t coming in.
Contact Kinder Smiles Today for The Full Lowdown
Accordingly, Dr. Engel will take you through any concerns you have about the teeth movement of your child. If you live in the New Jersey area or New York City or surrounding areas contact us with ease below.
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KinderSmiles Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
400 Kinderkamack Rd.
Oradell, NJ 07649
Phone: 551-210-4012
My Child’s Permanent Teeth Aren’t Coming In (ANSWERS)