Babies Not Cutting Teeth, And Toddlers Who Break A Tooth: Pediatric Dental Challenges Resolved

Kids grow and learn at their own pace, and sometimes that means that they may accidentally injure something important, or they may not grow as expected. In the cases of babies not cutting teeth, and toddlers falling down and breaking their teeth, a kids' dentist is absolutely needed for the expert pediatric dental resolutions. Here is how both of these situations are handled by a pediatric dentist. 

Babies Not Cutting Teeth

Infants can get their first tooth anywhere from four months to sixteen months. Babies who cut teeth especially early are frightening to nursing mothers who end up bitten, and babies who cut teeth really late worry parents about their development. Rest assured, a pediatric dentist knows how to handle this.

First and foremost, those that cut teeth early will be examined to make sure that these first teeth are permanent, and not an unusual genetic event where the baby is likely to lose the tooth or teeth and grow a second set of baby teeth later. Secondly, those that do not cut teeth when you expect them to are subject to an x-ray (with your permission!) to see if there are teeth buds present and if those teeth buds are going to erupt any time soon. If the x-ray shows that there are teeth about to erupt, the dentist will let you know that your child is just a "late bloomer" where teeth are concerned and that unless he/she does not get a tooth in the next couple of months, you have nothing to worry about. 

Toddlers Who Break a Tooth

Toddlers fall down a lot. They grow in awkward stages, often leaving their heads top-heavy, which makes them topple a lot until they get their feet under them. Most of the time, your toddler will land on his/her little tush, but sometimes he/she will land face-first on a hard surface. When that happens, he/she could break a front tooth. Breaking a front tooth is not good at this stage or any stage, but with toddlers, who are just gaining ground with eating solid foods and learning to talk complete sentences, a broken tooth can delay progress. 

Be sure to call your child's dentist immediately if you suspect that your toddler has broken a tooth. This is an emergency situation that will require immediate attention. If the tooth is broken above the gum line, the dentist will have to repair it and bond/seal it to get it to heal. If the tooth is broken below the gum line, the kids dentist may have to do a quick little surgery to repair it. Eventually, this baby tooth will fall out, but your toddler will need it through the preschool and early elementary years. 


Share