Why does my child have shark teeth?
Your child probably smiled or you looked in their mouth and you noticed a tooth in the front and…a tooth right behind it. I know it seems really strange, but these “shark teeth” are very common.
When our adult teeth are growing into the mouth, they help push out the primary (baby) tooth. Sometimes the adult tooth is not in the right position to push the baby tooth out and it then grows behind the baby tooth.
When this happens, visit your local pediatric dentist to help wiggle the baby tooth out of the way so the adult tooth has enough space to grow in.
Which tooth is the baby tooth? Which tooth is the adult tooth?
The tooth that is in front and smaller is the baby tooth. The tooth that is behind the tooth, had bumpy ridges on it and is bigger is the adult tooth. Click here to read 5 changes that happen in your child’s mouth and whether or not theyre normal.
Do I have to go to the dentist for this?
If the adult tooth is already grown into the mouth there is nothing else that can push the baby out of the mouth. Some teeth just need a little help. Your pediatric dentist can help that baby tooth out of the mouth by extracting (removal of the tooth) it. And your child gets a visit from the tooth fairy!
