Shark Teeth

[essential1892]

I was brusshing my 5.5 year old's teeth tonight and noticed that his bottom front teeth were crooked- they have always been straight so I looked in his mouth and saw a tooth growing behind his baby teeth!

I wanted to freak out but I didn't because I didn't want to freak him out. He said his mouth didn't hurt so I sent him to bed. Then I did what any normal mother does, and googled it.

I guess it's normal for adult teeth to sometimes grow in behind baby teeth; sometimes it corrects itself and other times teeth need to get pulled.

I am going to call the dentist in the morning to see if I should bring DS in but was wondering if anyone else has dealt with "shark teeth" before? Did you wait for the baby tooth to fall out or did you have the tooth pulled?

I am just so scared that if DS has to have a tooth pulled he will hate going to the dentist. He loves going now and has very healthy teeth, at least until this incident.

[stevensmom]

yep DS is shark boy.

He has had 2 teeth grow in like that (he has only had 2 adult teeth grow in).

The first one was all the way in and we had to have the baby one pulled. It straightened itself out and is in the right spot.

The second one was half way in and the baby one was barely moving. I pulled it out myself. It is still crooked because there is another tooth in the way.

But the dentist said that they will all straighten out in the long run.

[dncegrl]

I recently found that my son has shark teeth. I took him to the dentist and they said to give it more time. It scared me at first because I had never heard of this happening.

[essential1892]

Yeah, it looks so freaky. I keep running my tongue along the back of my bottom teeth and wondering how the extra tooth isn't bothering him because it would bother me!

[EmilytheStrange]

I knew a guy in middle school who had tons of those. But I guess they didn't bother him. I think they dealt with it when he was in high school and with braces. Then he had a perfect smile.

[iris0110]

This has happened to Tharen twice now. His first tooth came out on it's own no problem and the adult tooth moved in and took its place. The second one is being pretty stubborn and I'm a bit concerned we will need to have it pulled. It is pretty loose but just doesn't seem to want to come out. I'm just watching it for now as I hate having to take him to the dentist, he won't let them in his mouth.

[Computermama]

Yep, a few of mine grew in before the baby teeth fell out. It did cause a few of them to come in crooked, but the baby teeth did eventually come out on their own.

[HeatherlovesCDs]

I worked in dentistry for 8 years before becoming a SAHM.

It's very common. Often, the adult tooth will eventually push out the baby tooth, but not always and it sometimes better to just pull it anyway so the adult tooth can have a chance to move where it is supposed to be.

It's not a big deal and not an emergency. You can call your dentist and go in for an extra visit or just wait till his 6 month check up. Of course, if it's bothering him, you should go in, but it doesn't sound like it is. Kids are used to their mouths and teeth changing all the time with new teeth growing in and others falling out. It doesn't bother them like it would us.