Question:
My 5-year-old daughter has an impacted, extra tooth in the front part of her upper teeth. Her dentist said that this can cause problems when her permanent upper teeth start to erupt. What kind of problems can we expect?
Answer:
A recent study found that almost 25% of patients with mesiodens, an extra tooth between the two front teeth, will experience problems with erupting teeth. Some of these problems are teeth getting stuck and not erupting and teeth erupting in the wrong location. Other problems are teeth erupting but turned ninety degrees or a large space between the front teeth. It is important that you have an orthodontist assess this problem as soon as possible. Also, expect the orthodontist to recommend extracting the mesioden tooth before your child turns 7.