All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth! Reasons Why Your Child's Permanent Teeth May Not Be Coming In

Your child's baby teeth fall out to make way for their adult teeth to come in. Once a tooth falls out, adult teeth typically come in fairly quickly. If your child has lost their front teeth and new ones have yet to come in, you may wonder why this is and if you should be concerned. Here are a few of the reasons why your child's permanent teeth may not be coming in yet. 

They May Not Have the Space to Come In

One of the reasons why adult teeth may not emerge is simply because they do not have the space to do so. In some cases, your child's mouth may be too small or too crowded for all of their adult teeth to come in. The adult teeth may be trying to break through the surface, but they may have nowhere to go. Typically, this causes pain for your child, but in some cases, it can go unnoticed. 

They May Not Be Ready to Come In

Another reason why your child's permanent teeth may not have yet come in is that the teeth simply are not ready. There are many factors that affect when a child loses their teeth and when their new adult teeth come in. Some of these factors include age, genetics, weight, medical issues, and trauma to the tooth early in life. A family dentist can help you determine whether your child's teeth are coming in as they should or whether they are simply not ready to come in due to one or more of these factors. 

They May Be Growing in the Wrong Direction

The last reason why a child's permanent tooth may not be coming in is that it is growing in the wrong direction. Teeth typically grow either upward or downward. But, in some cases, they can grow sideways. If they are coming in crooked, they may not erupt through the gums. A dentist can tell via x-ray if this is occurring with your child and can help to either pull the tooth or work to change the direction in which it is growing. 

It is important to have your child see a pediatric or family dentist every six months. During these appointments, a dentist will clean their teeth and examine them. If your child has lost a tooth and the permanent one has not yet come in, talk to your family dentist about this at your child's next scheduled appointment. A dentist can help determine why this may be and what actions, if any, need to be taken so the tooth can come in and your child can have their two front teeth in time for Christmas. 

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