Braces versus Retainers: A Comprehensive Overveiw

Adult Teeth Growing Behind Baby Teeth? Here's What You Need to Know

17 April 2018 by Lonnie Bryant

The human body's ability to heal itself from many issues and ailments is pretty remarkable. Of course, the body can't heal all its potential problems without medical intervention, and this might be the case when your child's permanent teeth begin to emerge.

A Straightforward Process

Most of the time, the process is fairly straightforward. The baby teeth become loose and fall out, with the adult teeth then emerging in their place. If your household participates in the story of the Tooth Fairy, the baby tooth is then placed beneath the child's pillow, to be replaced with money by a parent doing their very best not to wake the child. But sometimes it can seem as though the adult teeth are too impatient to wait for the baby teeth to make their departure. It might be the case that an adult tooth will emerge from the gum line behind the baby tooth, effectively creating a double row of teeth. Should this be a cause for alarm, though?

The Tooth Will Still Fall Out

Generally speaking, this is not anything to be too concerned about. The baby tooth should still become loose and fall out, leaving the adult tooth immediately behind it. This occurs when the adult tooth does not form immediately beneath the baby tooth, so the baby tooth doesn't in fact have the adult tooth erupting beneath it to assist with its departure.

This occurrence is unlikely to require any dental intervention, as the baby tooth should still do what it's supposed to do—make its exit. It's just that the adult tooth is already present, instead of needing to grow into place. But are there any aspects of this double tooth phenomena that require a visit to your local family dentist?

When to See a Dentist

There is potential concern when multiple adult teeth emerge behind their corresponding baby teeth. This can create overcrowding in your child's gums, which can be uncomfortable and could even affect the development and correct positioning of their adult teeth. Your dentist needs to examine this problem. They can professionally assess whether extraction is necessary, and in extreme cases, orthodontics might be required on the fledgling adult teeth to ensure that they assume the correct position in your child's mouth.

So while a double row of teeth shouldn't be a major worry, it's something that will require monitoring. And of course, visit your dentist if you should have any concerns. Contact family dentists if you have more questions.

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