I am having a problem. I’m 14 years old and one of my baby teeth didn’t come out. Now the other tooth is coming in, but it’s coming in crooked. It doesn’t bother me but my dentist said that he needs to take it out. I’m a bit scared about that. Does it hurt? What happens if I don’t get it taken out?
Levi
Dear Levi,
I am glad that you wrote. Let me say first that you write very well. I know adults who write to us who do not communicate as clearly as you do. I’m impressed.
You will want to get the tooth taken out. When an adult tooth is coming in but the baby tooth isn’t out yet, it is standard procedure to remove it. If you don’t have it removed, then your teeth will end up very crooked and you will need to wear braces to straighten them out. That gets very expensive.
I know you are worried about it hurting, but I want to put your mind at ease. First, it is much easier to take out a baby tooth than a permanent one. The roots will be much smaller. You can also ask your pediatric dentist to put some novocain ointment on your gums to help numb out the area on your gum where the shot will go.
If you are super nervous you can also ask your dentist for some nitrous oxide. This will help relax you and allow the medicine to be even more effective. If your dentist does not offer these things, you are old enough to see an adult dentist.
Get this fixed and it will help you keep a smile the girls will go crazy over.
This blog is brought to you by the gentle dentists from Decatur, AL Drs. Drake and Wallace.