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Dentistry/my 7 year old

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Expert: - 2/19/2009


Question
Hi,

My daughter will be 7 next week.  She appears to have the same mouth and teeth as me.  Her baby teeth had no spaces between them and her permanent teeth coming in are so big!  My front teeth were so overcrowded that it pushed the canines up and looked like fangs.  I ended up with 4 permanent teeth being pulled and braces.  I asked the dentist about her today at her visit.  He said she may need some intervention but he is not going to worry about it yet.  He wants her to "grow" more.  Is there a point when it would be too late to take preventative action?  Her front teeth are so wide that they pushed out all 4 baby teeth up front. And there is no room for the lateral incisors to come in.  Is it foolish to wait on this?  I have heard of jaw extenders.  Would she benefit from doing that now?

Answer
Dear Michelle.
This is a tough problem, and one just a little too difficult for me to answer without having x-rays and models of your daughters teeth in front of me.
y  Jaw expanders are really not recommended at this early age.
You might want to try to find an Orthodontist and get an opinion.
My experience says wait, you will lessen the number of years your daughter spends getting treatment. Little that you do today , will not have to be done again when she is in her teens.
All the best,
Dr. Moss

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Stephen J. Moss

Expertise

I am a professor emeritus at New York University, with a background that includes extensive research, scientific writing and biology. I also am an international consultant in health education, particularly in developing education on new science for health professionals and consumers. I am a past president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, former head of the NYU Division of Oral Biology and I represent the World Dental Federation at the United Nations. I travel around the world to provide health education to professionals and consumers.

Experience

Having retired from New York Universit, where I directed the pediatric dentistry training program, a walk-in dental clinic and research on oral biology, I formalized my professional and consumer health education initiative in the form of Health Education Enterprises. This entity consults and provides information on new science pertaining to oral and general health, particularly leading edge concepts that can be employed in the health professions to improve the public's health. As such, I am an expert in communicating new science and its usefulness to professional and lay audiences alike. I also had a pediatric dentistry practice in New York City for nearly 30 years.

Organizations
I am affiliated with the American Dental Association, the World Dental Federation, the International Association of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry among other formal organizations. My experience has included a research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and work at the Forsythe Dental Research Center

Publications
lpha Omegan USA, Nowa Stomatologia Poland, Journal of Public Health Dentistry, The Journal of the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry USA, News Bulletin Japan, Journal of Marmara University Dental Faculty Turkey, Italian Journal of Paediatric Dentistry Italy, Asian Dentist Singapore, The Journal of the Israel Dental Association Israel, ROBRAC Brazil, Italian Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
Italy, FDI World, STOMA Portugal, Pediatric Dentistry The Philippines, Modern Stomatology Bulgaria, Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry India

Education/Credentials
I obtained a doctor of dental science (DDS) degree, a master of science degree and am a board certified pediatric dentist.

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