Teeth Extraction in Children

Why Baby Teeth May be Removed?

A baby or primary tooth with large decay may be restored if it occurs at a very early age. Pediatric dentists are the appropriate specialists for such treatments. However, if the tooth is deeply decayed, is causing significant pain, or is infected, extraction is often the best treatment option. A space maintainer may then be recommended depending on the tooth and age of your child.

Another reason for extraction of primary teeth is for orthodontic reasons. Your child may be in the mixed dental phase, where some adult teeth have already come in or are on their way. Occasionally, due to tight space, the adult teeth get stuck or begin to come in incorrectly. Extraction of selected baby (primary) teeth during the developmental age may help to minimize crowding of the adult teeth later and improve alignment in the mouth. Any baby tooth may be extracted for this purpose, although the canine teeth (#C, H, M, R) are the most common. This adjunctive procedure can help shorten future orthodontics treatment.

Why Adult Teeth May be Removed?

Sometimes, the jaw size is so restricted that there simply isn’t enough room for all the adult teeth to come in properly and therefore may cause the teeth to become crowded. When children reach age 12 or 13, orthodontists may recommend extraction of the first premolars to help create adequate space for the adult canines and other teeth. Typically, all four premolars are extracted at the same time. Teeth crowding may also be due to jaw size problems. In this case, the orthodontist may choose to keep all the permanent teeth, align them orthodontically and then recommend a jaw correction procedure.