There isn’t a week that goes by in our office that we don’t see at least a couple examples of patients experiencing an Ectopic Eruption. An Ectopic Eruption occurs when our adult teeth erupt before our baby teeth are exfoliated, creating “rows” of teeth, just like you might see on a shark! Mom’s call our office, worried that their child is morphing into the most feared fish in the sea, and that the erupting adult teeth might never find their way out if the baby teeth stay in.
We frequently see Ectopic Eruptions in the lower front area of the mouth, right behind those front baby teeth. It’s almost like those new, adult, permanent incisors were so excited for the party, they decided to arrive early! Sometimes, parents might be worried that the adult teeth “are so far back behind the baby teeth,” that they will never find their way forward. Don’t worry! Once those baby teeth hit the curb, the tongue will push the adult teeth into place.
If you can see your kiddo’s adult teeth coming in behind their baby teeth, you know it’s time to start wiggling those baby teeth out, even if they may not seem loose at all yet. In our experience, most, if not all, of the root of the baby incisor is already dissolved away. So wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, and make those baby teeth dance on out!
However, with enough of the baby tooth root remaining, some kids simply can’t get their baby teeth to come out. Our office encourages an “at home” approach first but, if unsuccessful, the stubborn baby teeth can easily be asked to “leave the premises.” : ) Call our office if you need help with Sharks Teeth! We love to go “deep sea fishing!”