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I am new here (HI) I went in for my initial consultation and to my dispair, found out that I have two baby teeth still in my mouth. I have to have one of them extracted before I can get my braces. I initially went forward with wanting braces for a strictly cosmetic reason. Boy am I glad I was so "shallow"...I had no idea what was really going on in there. One baby tooth has a few roots and is in great shape and in a good spot so we are going to wait on that one. The other is quite small and actually embedded into the bone. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? So, basically, I have to get this baby tooth out before I can get braces. This frustrates me because I am quite nervous to begin with and was so ready to proceed only to have this bump in the road. I did find out that I will only need one spacer so I suppose that is a good thing.
Yep I got a baby tooth too! But it's been left alone for the time being, it hasn't been bracketed (all my other teeth have). It's firmly in there, my ortho suggested maybe "building up" the tooth because it's quite small compared to my other teeth.
I wonder if I can convince my ortho to build mine up....wishful thinking.....I'd rather not lose another tooth at this point in my life. I've had it this long (I'm in my 30s) and it's certainly not causing me any problems. If it were, I'd think my dentist would have said something about it at my regular check-ups. I did not get a second opinion with another ortho because this ortho comes highly recommended.
I suppose I am just scared of one more thing being done, having a space and delaying getting braces. I've been putting this off for years because I am a chicken and now I was so ready to do it only to have this obstacle. Obviously there is a reason for it to go. I guess I was just hoping I would not have to go through this painful process
Thank you KK for your suggestions. I did not realize there was a search function. I will definitely utilize that! I go back to the orthodontist this week and will ask more questions. I have a couple of gaps (in the back) from extractions as a child so we will be closing those gaps with the braces and then filling in the back with implants after the braces come off. I'm very excited. I will have to wear the braces for 2.5 yrs but I know it will be worth it when it's over.
Thanks again. I look forward to learning more and meeting new people here.
Hi,
I think there are really two different situations with baby teeth and it wasn't clear to me which case you had. In one case, you have just baby teeth with no permanent teeth behind them. In the second case, you have baby teeth but the permanent teeth are there also - impacted or not.
I have the first case. I had two baby teeth with no permanent teeth behind them (lower premolars). The one on the right was pulled when I was 12 and I don't remember much about it. The one on the left was pulled in August, 2005, just before my braces went on, and I was 53 (!) at the time. When I saw the x-rays of my mouth with that little-bitty baby tooth in it, I understood why my teeth were shifting around.
So, you're not alone on this. I hear that it's actually getting to be more common. And, unfortunately, even though your baby teeth can last for more than 50 years (just ask me!), it really isn't the same.
Betty Bat wrote:Hi,
I think there are really two different situations with baby teeth and it wasn't clear to me which case you had. In one case, you have just baby teeth with no permanent teeth behind them. In the second case, you have baby teeth but the permanent teeth are there also - impacted or not.
I have the first case. I had two baby teeth with no permanent teeth behind them (lower premolars). The one on the right was pulled when I was 12 and I don't remember much about it. The one on the left was pulled in August, 2005, just before my braces went on, and I was 53 (!) at the time. When I saw the x-rays of my mouth with that little-bitty baby tooth in it, I understood why my teeth were shifting around.
So, you're not alone on this. I hear that it's actually getting to be more common. And, unfortunately, even though your baby teeth can last for more than 50 years (just ask me!), it really isn't the same.
Hi BETTYBAT....I have the same case you had. No permanent teeth behind them. I have a baby tooth on the upper and one on the lower. The lower is the one that needs to come out before the braces can go on. The upper can stay in during treatment (per my orthodontist). Otherwise, I will be left with a huge gap. I suspect once my braces come in the 2-3 yrs, he will want me to have that tooth taken out and he will either fit my retainer appropriately to close the gap or I will get an implant. I cannot remember exactly what he said last week. Once he said "exctraction" I went into shock . I have a follow up with him next week and we are going to go over all of this again. I do know the bottom one has to come out before the braces can go on. It is so much smaller than any other teeth.
Thanks for the kind words. Nice to know I'm not the only one with baby teeth
I still have one baby tooth, and I'm 44 years old. It's crowned, though. The ortho did not bracket it - he wants to leave it alone as much as possible and hopefully, it will make it through my whole treatment. Someday eventually, it will need to be replaced with an implant.
I thought this was a rare situation also, until I read this board. I had about 3 baby teeth pulled when I was 17 because they were imbedded in the bone and the permanent ones behind them could not come through. But the dentist left the one baby tooth in place because that particular one did not have a permanent tooth behind it to replace it. My current dentist said that I'm the second oldest patient he's seen with a baby tooth - the oldest being a 73 year old man!
Hi there! I have two impacted canines that are working their way out (hopefully). Mine had real dense bone grown all around them. The surgeon cut the bone out, and exposed the teeth (they're there, I can see them!!). Mine are not in a good spot or a good position. Hopefully they do ok.
At my request, the ortho is leaving the babies in as long as possible so I'm not walking around with gaps in the front of my teeth for several months. They'll have to come out eventually, and I'll have gaps for awhile, but hopefully everyone will be able to see the teeth growing in too, so that it doesn't look like I just didn't take care of my teeth so they fell out.
It's a little weird how they come in. I've got some chains buttoned to mine, and the chain is tied to an appliance up in the roof of my mouth. The chains have only been in a few days and I'm already getting used to them. The holes in the roof of my mouth are a little weird, but otherwise it isn't so bad.
I have the one that is imbedded in the bone that needs to come out before I can get my braces (oh joy) and then I have one on the top that is staying in during my braces treatment. I think we are going to keep our fingers crossed on that one. It has some tiny roots but once the braces come off, it will be replaced with an implant.
Thanks for sharing !! I go today for my eval on having the one baby tooth removed. Then next week for my final consultation with the ortho. I did my final records appointment yesterday with the ortho. I guess once the tooth comes out, I need one spacer for about a week and then the braces go on. I'm so nervous and excited. I just want to get this started !!
Metal, I had pretty much the same exact problem. I am 40 and also had 2 baby teeth. One came out no problem(both canines) the other one was fused to the jaw bone. I had the canine that was fused extracted which left a big gap that left me very self conscience but after just one month in braces my second tooth that needed to be pulled down is almost completetely down(it is on an odd angle but that can be fixed when it gets bracketed next month) So hang in there the gap will fill in before you know it. Good Luck Mary88
Thanks Mary, that's encouraging. My problem is I do not have a permanent tooth behind the baby tooth. I don't know what his plan of action is going to be. If I remember correctly, I think we were going to let this little space close up with the braces and the other top baby tooth we were going to remove after the braces come off and replace it with an implant. It is in a really bad spot to remove right now (cosmetically) and there is no permanent tooth behind it to fill the void. UGH. I wonder what causes this to happen. I have another place where I did lose the baby tooth by my canines but the permanent tooth never came in, I have become used to it and really don't notice it. That is until now. So, I think he is eventually (towards the end of treatment) going to open that space up and I'll have an implant put there.
I have the "baby teeth with no permanent teeth behind them" issue also. I've got springs right now to open up the spot on the right, where my baby tooth was pulled 40 (!) years ago, and to keep the spot on the left open.
It would probably be easier and cheaper for us, Metalchic, if we had the impacted teeth behind the baby ones. Isn't it tough to be so special? :-)
SPRINGS? Yikes? He never mentioned SPRINGS. Oh the questions just keep coming. I have no idea what is going to come of the space where this baby tooth currently lies...will we close it ? Will it remain exposed during my entire braces treatment UGH. Now that I am reading this, am I going to have springs to open the space in the front where I am missing the tooth next to my canine (the other one where the baby tooth actually came out when I was a child but there was no permanent tooth behind that one)? I do not want to walk around without a tooth in the front for even a minute much less a month or so. It's not that I didn't take care of my teeth, my permanent teeth just didn't want to play with others. Darn it.
Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? So, basically, I have to get this baby tooth out before I can get braces. This frustrates me because I am quite nervous to begin with and was so ready to proceed only to have this bump in the road. I did find out that I will only need one spacer so I suppose that is a good thing.
