baby teeth that wont fall out...need to be pulled???

[NappiesGalore]

my dp reckons that when he was about 6 his baby teeth wouldnt fall out naturally and that he needed each and every one pulled by the dentist in a terrifying manner (held down by 3 adults to put him under with the mask thingy, every single time)

this has come up because dss, now 6yo, is staying with us for the week and was wailing about tooth pain last night. dp reckons he has the same problem and that his teeth will get sorer and sorer until he has them pulled to make way for his adult teeth.

personally, i think my dp was subjected to awful misguided treatment which has scarred him for life (he has a deep fear and hatred for docs and dentists now and never sees either). but this all happened way back in 1966 and his dentist was known as, i kid you not, 'the Butcher of Lochie' !!

so... am i right? or is there such a thing as needing to have baby teeth pulled to make way for adult teeth? any dentists out there?

Am a dental nurse, so may be able to help.

There is no reason why healthy baby teeth should be pulled out at the age of 6. They should stay as long as possible to help maintain space for the adult teeth.

Your dss may be teething, as at 6yrs old (or there abouts) the first set of adult teeth start to erupt at the very back of the mouth.

RubyRioja, i don't think her dh is entirely talking pants, you would be surprised at what used to (and can still) happen!!

LOL, I read it wrong!

I had one baby tooth pulled out at about age 14 because the adult tooth underneath had started to come through at an angle as there was nowhere else for it to go. I did have a local anaesthetic and remember lots of tugging to get the blooming thing out. That said, I've still got two baby back teeth at the age of 36!

It's quite common to still have baby teeth into teens and for them to be doubled up with second teeth

I had a tooth taken out under general anaesthetic when I was 4 and came round during the process..very nasty

the dentist was subsequently struck off and ran away with a lot of money

zippi - !!

monkeybar - ok... so your ever present baby teeth are no prob then, obv. do you refuse to age in other ways too??

melissasmum - thanks. i thought something like that would be true. i know bugger all about dentistry, but my first instincts wqere much what you said.

Rubyrioja - i assume he has had check-ups etc (his mum is not the most communicative creature so we are not generally kept in the loop about such things) but i did think it might be decay. not that ive had that good a look at his teeth. he gets what he wants when he wants as far as i can tell and i assume this extends to sweets and not brushing his teeth. that could be v unfair though.

My son is 9 and is currently having baby teeth electively removed because they are causing so many problems with the arrival of his adult teeth. He is under the care of an orthodontist as well as a dentist. He's been great about it and hasn't traumatised in the least.

I had a baby tooth removed at 25 It was in the right place and my adult one had grown on the inside, it was starting to go rotten and I had it removed and the original adult tooth has taken about a year to move into the hole it left

ok. so the upshot is:

yes it is possible that baby teeth may need some help along the way, but no, it doesnt have to be hideous and traumatising.

thanks MN. youve done it again

i still have a baby tooth at 32....

I've still got a baby tooth and I'm 37 - no big tooth underneath to push it out.

I am a dentist and am happy to help.

Your dh is talking mostly pants.
You would not expect many baby teeth to have fallen out naturally by age 6.

If dss is wailing with tooth pain he may well have a decayed or abscessed baby tooth
and should see a dentist.

"his teeth will get sorer and sorer until he has them pulled to make way for his adult teeth" This part is COMPLETELY pants

thank you Jasper. your post was my reaction, practically verbatim.
so good to be right