Teeth Extractions in Children

Why remove baby teeth in children?Brochure- children oral surgery image

Teeth extractions in children are sometimes necessary. However, at a very early age, a baby or primary tooth with large decay may be restored.  Pediatric dentists are the appropriate specialists for such treatments. But, if the tooth is deeply decayed, is causing significant pain, or is infected, extraction is often the best treatment option. A space maintainers are 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 developmental age help to minimize crowding of the adult teeth later and improve alignment in the mouth. Any baby tooth can be extracted for this purpose, although the canine teeth are the most common. This adjunctive procedure helps shorten future orthodontics treatment.

Why remove adult teeth in children?

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 become crowded. When a patient reaches the 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. Jaw size problems can cause teeth crowding, in this case, the orthodontist can choose to keep all the permanent teeth, align them orthodontically and then recommend a jaw correction procedure.