My son, who is three years old, had a fall which caused him to lose his two front teeth prematurely. I’ve heard that children need to keep their teeth in order to prevent shifting and crowding. My dentist said that won’t be an issue, but I’m still worried. I’m looking at dental flippers online and they only seem to make them for adults. What is your recommendation for a toddler?
Robin
Dear Robin,
Many general dentists will see entire families
While there are some teeth which have to stay in place until your son is around twelve-years-old or you risk shifting and crowding, that is only for his back teeth. If these teeth have to be removed prematurely, your pediatric dentist would need to place a space maintainer. Your son lost his front teeth. These teeth won’t have the same issue and he’ll be fine.
I want to discuss the dental flipper, though. Let’s say for argument’s sake that he did need a replacement. These are only made for adults for a reason. First, they are removable. This will be a choking hazard for a young child. Even if it weren’t a choking hazard there would be other issues.
Because it is removable, you would likely have a hard time getting him to keep it in his mouth. Plus, it clasps onto his teeth. At his age, his teeth and jaw are in constant flux and growth. You would have to constantly replace it.
I hope knowing the front teeth will be fine puts your mind at ease. I can tell you are a caring mother.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.
