My three year old son lost one of his front teeth. I am worried about his teeth shifting. I suggested that we get a dental flipper to keep the space open, but his pediatric dentist acted like I was an idiot. Actually, he was rather rude and I’m not sure we’ll be back. I have looked online, but they only seem to sell dental flippers for adults online. Is there any way to find one for a child?

Stacey

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Dear Stacey,

I can tell you are a good mother and are very worried about your son’s teeth. It is a shame your son’s dentist was so rude to you. He obviously will not be a great fit for your family. There are lots of pediatric dentists out there. There are even family dentists who will treat both parents and their children so that your whole family can go to the same dentist.

I like the way you are thinking about your son’s open spaces, unfortunately, a dental flipper will not work for a few reasons. First, they are removable. That makes it a chocking hazard. Plus, even the best behaved toddler or preschooler is not likely to keep it in or keep up with it.

Let’s say, though, by some miracle, you have the most responsible three year old ever known to man, his jaw is constantly growing. Because these are attached by clips, he will outgrow it quickly, which means you will be constantly replacing them.

There is a solution. When a child loses a tooth prematurely, a dentist can place a space maintainer. This will keep the space open so that the other teeth don’t shift. This is necessary when a child loses a back tooth because they need to stay in place until the child is around twelve years old. If that space is not held open, the other teeth will tip or shift into the space. That leads to crowding and the need for expensive orthodontics.

The good news is I don’t think it will be necessary for your son’s front tooth. These don’t have to stay in place for as many years and are less likely to lead to crowding.

This blog is brought to you by Ahwatukee Dentist Dr. Harveer Kaur.