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Dentistry/Side-of-gum first tooth placement

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Expert: - 6/13/2006


Question
My duaghter and her husband adopted a baby girl who is now 7-1/2 months old. She has had all the signs of teething for several weeks, but no teeth had cut through. Now she appears to have the tip of a tooth emerged from the side of her lower gum, about half way back. Is this a "wait and see" issue, or do they need to find a pediatric dentist immediately? I'm not sure there even is one in their small city. Would a regular dentist be knowledgeable enoght to deal with something like this? Thank you.
Linda Riggs Mayfield

Answer
Dear Linda,
many children dont get their first tooth until age 1 year.
My son didnt get his first tooth until 14 months.
it is hard from this distance to make a diagnosis of the baby's condition.
However i do feel quite confident that there is no rush at all.
Regardless of what kind of tooth it is that appears to be erupting, there is no rush. No condition that I know of requires any intervention this early.
Try to have your daughter find a dentist, any dentist sometime during the next year. A simple x-ray will remove any mystery and help in decidintg what to do.
Dr. Moss

Dentistry

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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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