What are the options when a baby tooth does not fall out?
I am 19 years old, and I still have an upper baby tooth. My teeth look fine, but I have been told that I need full braces to make room for my permanent tooth and I need a chain to pull the permanent tooth down. The process is supposed to take 18 – 24 months. I am in college, and I don’t want braces. Do you know of any other options? How likely is it that my baby tooth will fall out? If I have the baby tooth removed, is there any other way to make room for my permanent tooth? How likely is it that it would come down on its own? I need ideas of possible options so I can ask the orhtodontist about them.
doctor
sounds like you need to have the dentist pull it before you get your braces
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Odds are the orthodontist will have the tooth pulled if it’s taken this long. Don’t worry, the Dr. has done this sort of thing many times, and probably has your whole treatment plan lined out. When you go in to get braces, the Orthodontist gets a plan of action and timeline set up just for you and your teeth. Just ask them what’s going to be done.
But odds are you’re going to need some sort mouth gear (ie. braces, overnight gear). But you’re only 19. If you don’t make a big deal over having it in college, no one else is. Who the heck is going to point and laugh because you have the money and the patience to have dental work done? I’ve seen plenty of college students with braces, it’s really no big deal unless you go around whining about it or over-exageratedly try to cover them up.
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Wore braces for 2.5 years.
You could get crystal braces. They’re alot more expensive, but are harder to see than the traditional metal.
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I have them
I am 32 and still have a baby tooth. It’s possible you don’t have a replacement, as is the case with me. My dentist recommended keeping it in as long as possible, since the alternative is getting an implant or a bridge. Neither of which is better than having a tooth, even if it’s a deciduous one.
The dentist should be able to see from the x-rays whether a replacement tooth is coming or not. If it is, then my guess is they would probably pull it before orthodontics.
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doctor
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For starters, there are ‘invisible braces’ nowadays. They’re more expensive, but they are a good alternative for older patients who would be self conscious about having traditional braces. Secondly, have you had the tooth in question x-rayed to be sure there is a permanent replacement for it? If there is a replacement tooth, ask your orthodontist why it is not in position to displace the baby tooth. From what you’ve written, it sounds like he/she will tell you it is b/c there is not enough room for it. There are appliances that can create add’l space but they tend to not be as effective the older you get as they would have been if they had been administered when you were younger. If you are not comfortable that this tooth needs to be removed – through whatever manner – get a second opinion. If the second orthodontist concurs, you might want to look at your options more favorably than risk having bite or alignment problems later that could lead to TMJ or a host of other problems.
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I’m not quite sure I understand your situation completely, so this information may not be useful, but I’ll have a go at it anyways.
My brother had a baby tooth that wasn’t coming out, and I believe it was actually keeping the permanent tooth from coming in. He was recommended to some special dental surgeon (I don’t recall what the actual name was, but it was neither a dentist nor an orthodontist). The surgeon cut the baby tooth out, and then this little metal spring and wire device was put in where the tooth was removed to keep the surrounding teeth from moving in on the open space while the permanent tooth was finally free to come down on its own right where it was supposed to be.
If they are expecting your permanent tooth to be much too large to fit into the space left by the baby tooth, or if the permanent tooth isn’t positioned correctly to fall into place, then you might need short-term braces anyway.
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