OT: pediatric oral surgery/dental question

[Nashville Lion]

hey all knowing board...quick question if any oral surgeons or dentists on the board. One of my kiddos who is wearing braces has two baby teeth with no permanent teeth underneath. Orthodontist said it is one of those weird genetic things. They recommended removal now and implants when she turns 20 for those two teeth. We have a consult in a week. Just curious about how bad this would be for my daughter to have those 2 molars removed that are impacted due to not having a permanent tooth underneath. Comparable to wisdom tooth removal? Thanks in advance.

 

[83wuzme]

I am wondering why the orthodontist wants them removed now ? There will be possibly be space that might have to be managed and maintained until after age 20 if you do that. It would probably be smart to contact the person who will be placing the implants prior to removal for a consult.
Removing retained primary second molars is usually much less of a deal than removing impacted wisdom teeth.

 

[Nashville Lion]

Not sure...but the orthodontist said that is exactly what she would do...manage the space until around 20ish...when she can get the implant.

So you think these molars are easier than the wisdom teeth? These molars are sinking now since there are no permanent teeth underneath...could that be the reason? Thanks for chiming in my friend.

 

[83wuzme]

Not sure...but the orthodontist said that is exactly what she would do...manage the space until around 20ish...when she can get the implant.

So you think these molars are easier than the wisdom teeth? These molars are sinking now since there are no permanent teeth underneath...could that be the reason? Thanks for chiming in my friend.

It sounds like they are below the plane of occlusion ( the bite ). This means that the upper teeth directly above them could actually overerupt and create some bite problems. I have seen dentists actually place crowns on the baby molars in this situation in order to make them tall enough to stay in the bite. Whether these teeth remain or are removed until the implants are performed, the space and the upper teeth will have to be maintained in their current dimensions for the crowns that will attach to the implants. If the teeth are extracted now, some sort of removable appliance will probably have to be worn for an extended period. There are options for tooth replacements that stay in, but they invariably involve grinding into what I am sure are healthy teeth around the empty spaces.

Extracting these teeth is generally not a big deal compared to wisdom teeth. But I would vote to involve whoever is going to be performing the implants and the surgery before these teeth are removed. There are a lot of considerations in cases like these, but generally, placing implants into a site that had a retained primary tooth is usually a good situation.

 

[Uh Clem]

What wazme said...

Sound advice.

 

[Nashville Lion]

thanks for the ideas guys. in terms of recovery for daughter...you think a little easier than wisdom teeth removal? Our orthodontist works closely with the oral surgeon so I think they will be discussing the long term plan for our daughter.