Should you be worried when your child's permanent teeth grow behind their baby teeth?

Having two rows of teeth or what we commonly call "shark teeth phenomenon" is not a pleasant sight to see in your child's mouth. It is a very common occurrence among children 5-7 years old. However, most of the time this is self correcting and does not cause long-term problems to the erupting teeth. So when can this be alarming?

What are Shark Teeth?

Shark teeth are caused by the failure of the adult tooth to completely dissolve the roots of the baby tooth. Naturally, when the adult tooth is ready to come out, it pushes on the baby tooth, dissolving its roots, making it wiggly and eventually come off. However, in some cases, adult teeth grow somewhere else and more frequently behind the baby teeth it is supposed to replace, hence, the 2 rows of teeth (Yes, just like that of a shark!). More often than not his won’t be a problem since the baby tooth is usually loose and will fall off soon so that the permanent tooth behind will be pushed forward into position with the help of the tongue.

Things to consider before you worry:

1. Is the baby tooth loose?

If the baby tooth is loose, encourage your child to wiggle the tooth out using his/ her clean finger or tongue. But if the tooth is still firmly held in place, wait for a few weeks and see if it will start to loosen. Otherwise, visit a pediatric dentist for professional help.

2. How much of the permanent tooth has grown?

If the permanent tooth isn’t loose and grows as tall as the baby tooth in front of it, it’s time to make an appointment with your pediatric dentist to check if extraction is necessary.

3. Is your child afraid to wiggle, brush or even eat with a loose tooth?

Some children are more sensitive and have lower pain threshold than others. For them, the swaying movement of the loose tooth is uncomfortable or even painful so they avoid doing things (such as brushing and eating) that can loosen it all the more. Try to talk him/her out of it and see if your child will cooperate. Otherwise, its best to see your pediatric dentist for professional advice.

4. Which jaw is involved? Upper or lower?

Naturally, adult front teeth in the lower jaw grow behind their baby teeth counterpart. But because of the action of the tongue which pushes it forward into proper position, it becomes less of a problem. But when this happens on the upper front teeth, you need to see a pediatric dentist immediately because adult teeth are less likely to be positioned correctly due to the absence of tongue action and most likely extraction of the baby tooth will be necessary.

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So parents and caregivers, just sit back and relax if your child's lower permanent tooth has erupted and the baby tooth has not fallen off but super loose already! Keep on encouraging your child to wiggle it out until it falls off (the faster it falls off, the better). Remember that the permanent tooth (although initially positioned behind the baby tooth) will be pushed into the space (previously occupied by the baby tooth) by the tongue. On the other hand, if you think your child needs extraction, prepare them for their dental visit by giving them a general idea what to expect. Try not to go into too much details and avoid using terms such as "bunot", "tusok","injection" etc.. Leave it up to the dentist to explain the step-by-step procedure for extraction (trust us, we know how to best explain it in a kid-friendly way). Oh and don't forget to mention about the tooth fairy! =)