I noticed today that my son has two extra teeth coming in behind his baby teeth. Do you know why? Is this normal? We haven’t found a pediatric dentist yet, because he hasn’t had any problems until now.

Janie S. – Colorado

Janie,

You didn’t mention how old your son was, but I suspect his adult teeth are erupting and not waiting on his baby teeth to evacuate the premises. If his baby teeth are loose, then I wouldn’t worry too much.

If the teeth aren’t loose you’ll want to take steps. My suggestion would be to have the teeth extracted. You don’t want them in the wrong position any longer than necessary. That will just cost you more money later with their orthodontic work.

I know you don’t say you have a pediatric dentist yet, but I’d suggest you see one now, just to have a peek. If you have trouble getting in, you can also see a general dentist who enjoys treating children. They’re qualified.

One thing I’d like to address is a common error that parents make, and that is waiting until there is an issue to take a child to the dentist. First, you don’t want their first experience to be a painful one. That will forever negatively impact the way they view the dentist. Secondly, getting them in before there’s an issue can prevent problems before they start.

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