You are here:

Dentistry/Permanent teeth not errupting

Advertisement

Expert: - 2/25/2009


Question
I am a grandmother of a 14 year old grand daughter. She has yet to have her permanent insicors (I believe) come in. She had her baby teeth pulled to hopefully move the process, but nothing is happening. She will be braces and her orthodontist wants to put have an incision made, where by they put chains on her teeth, attach them to the braces and eventually pull them down. This all seems very barbaric to me and I am a concerned grandmother. I would like some input as to this process.

Thank you.

Maureen

Answer
Dear Maureen,
sorry about the delay in answering your good question.
I had answered it , but it must have gotten lost in transition.
When permanent incisors have not erupted by age 14, it is quite unusual.
The incisors are the teeth in the very front of the mouth.
That would mean that your grand daughter is in her teens and has been without any teeth
in the front of her mouth for about four years'
pulling the teeth into the mouth is certainly a well recognized practice.
It is not barbaric in any sense.It takes a great deal of expertise and skill to achieve a good result, so there is really nothing else that I can say except good luck.
I suspect though that the young lady has her incisors and it is the cuspid teeth that have not erupted.
All the best,
Dr. Moss

Dentistry

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

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.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.