You are here:

Dentistry/Unusual Teething Erruptions in Toddler

Advertisement

Expert: - 12/5/2007


Question
Hi -
My 18 month old has his four front top teeth, and his two central bottom ones, but not the two side bottom teeth. He got his first tooth (bottom) at about nine months and then took a while sprouting the rest.  At about seventeen months he started getting back teeth, on the top and bottom.  I'm concerned because his front bottom lateral teeth haven't sprouted yet. In other words, they are out of sequence and I'm worried that there may be something wrong.  There doesn't seem to be a lot written about anormal teething patternd in toddlers.  What is your opinion on this?

Answer
Dear Valentina,
please excuse the delay in responding I have been traveling and only returned this morning.
Please don't worry about your young man, the pattern of tooth eruption is quite different among children and the condition you describe is not at all unusual.  The truth is there is no normal or abnormal tooth eruption except in the rarest of cases , and what you describe is not indicative of one of those rare cases.
Be patient, if things still look odd to you 6 months from now, find a pediatric dentist and get an x-ray.  I predict that wont be necessary.  Remember at 18 months really no one knows the sequence of eruption.
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.