When children lose teeth it’s often marked as a milestone event captured in our imagination by the tooth fairy and that ever popular adorable gap-toothed smile. However charming this is, there may be times when missing teeth just aren’t part of the overall plan. For a child there’s always the expectancy that a baby tooth will be replaced by its fully grown counterpart and not dental implants in Richmond, but yet for thousands of children born in the UK who suffer with congenitally missing teeth, this is sometimes the reality.
Juts as in adults, missing teeth can cause bone loss in children where the bone isn’t fully developed. This can result in further dental problems such as a poorly aligned bite as well as a whole host of other dental issues. Aside from this a missing tooth is also likely to impinge on a child’s social development and indeed their overall self-confidence.
So what’s the best course of action?
If it doesn’t look like your child’s tooth is being replaced by an adult tooth, then you should seek advice from your dentist straight away. The issue is that in an ideal world, dental implants would be the first choice solution as they provide a permanent and aesthetically pleasing solution to missing teeth. However whilst they can be expected to last for decades when placed into healthy bone, it’s preferable that the patient’s (in this case a child’s) bone is fully grown. The reason for this is that when the jawbone reaches full maturity then permanent alignment increases dramatically (typically during late teens or early twenties). This gives more scope for an accurate implant to be placed. In most cases your dentist may suggest other temporary methods of tooth replacement until such times as an implant can be fitted.
Here at Sheen Dental we’ve been fitting dental implants in Richmond for many years and offer all potential patients a free, no-obligation consultation where they can come and discuss their dental options with us, as well as getting any questions or concerns answered that they might have.
If you’re worried that your child may have congenitally missing teeth then contact us on 020 8876 5277 or visit our website at www.sheendental.co.uk to see just how we can help. We’ll put your mind at ease and show you exactly how we can restore your child’s missing teeth and smile to bring back their self-confidence, once and for all.