Are your child's teeth not coming in properly because some of them are impacted? If so, this is probably causing problems due to gaps where those teeth should be growing. This is a good reason to visit a dentist to find out what is going on under the gums. Here's what could potentially be done about the issue.

Create Space for Emerging Teeth

A main reason that a child could have teeth that are impacted is due to their not having room for the teeth to grow. The molars are teeth that are most likely to be impacted, for both adults and children, but this can happen to any tooth in the mouth that just so happens to not grow in properly. For instance, the front teeth or canines can be missing because of large molars that are trying to grow in a small mouth and then block the front teeth growing in.

The solution can be to use braces that move the teeth that are there into their proper position, as this will give room for adult teeth to break through the gums and grow in as intended. If the baby molars are causing the problem, those could be removed early to make the necessary room for other teeth.

Use Corrective Surgery

It's possible that surgery will be necessary to fix the problem with an impacted tooth, and this is common if another tooth is in the way. The goal will be to preserve any permanent teeth that have already grown in.

The surgery involves cutting away any gum tissues that are covering an impacted tooth and then dislodging the tooth so it is not pushing against an adult tooth. A denture separator is used to push the tooth that's impacted to the side, and the separator will hold the tooth in that space until it grows more. The dentist then takes x-rays that help verify whether the tooth is growing in properly, and if it is, the surgery is a success. If not, the tooth may need to be pulled. Braces can then be used to move the tooth that was impacted into the proper position, and this will help prevent other teeth from shifting as well.

In order to prevent an impacted tooth from causing damage, make sure your child has a checkup with a dentist every six months. Part of the check-up process involves taking x-rays to ensure that teeth are growing in properly as soon as possible. Make an appointment with a dentistry such as Treasured Smiles Dentistry to get started. 

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