Dentist - Oak Park
7020 W North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60707
708-386-6517
773-745-5555
Archive:
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
Tags
Parents have many questions regarding their child's teeth. Will my son need braces? Will my daughter's teeth come in straight? Why does Joey have such big spaces between his baby teeth? All the other kids in Susie's class have lost some teeth, why hasn't she?
Each child develops at his or her own pace. Some kids have all the primary teeth by age two, some don't get the last few until they are three or four years old. It's not uncommon to see first graders who haven't lost a tooth yet, while some pre-schoolers may lose several. Children who got primary teeth early may lose them late; children who got them late may lose them early. This is all normal dental development and nothing to worry about. While we all want our kids to be perfect, the fact is that dentally, some imperfection is a normal condition. Teeth may come in crowded or with large spaces between them. It is rare to see a child with what we would call perfect teeth.
Since I opened my dental practice in Oak Park 30 years ago I have had dozens of kids as patients. All have been different in their dental growth. Each time we see your child we evaluate both the condition and the development of his or her teeth. As we check for cavities we are also looking at the length and width of both jaws, how the teeth are aligned, and how they come together. We take panoramic x-rays every few years to check on how the permanent teeth below the gums are progressing. All this information allows us to make treatment recommendations regarding possible orthodontia for your child. In my next posts I will be going into more detail regarding what you can do to help your child have a beautiful and healthy smile.
Thanks for reading, see you soon.
Dr. Jeff