Dr. Gonzalez’s Talks Shark Teeth

Have you peeked into your child’s mouth and noticed something a little strange? A double row of teeth in their mouth…just like shark teeth?! While it can look quite alarming at first, there’s really no need to worry yet! Known as an ectopic eruption, these “shark teeth” appear quite often with children. Shark teeth will typically develop near the lower front teeth compared to the top front teeth.

So, when do you call your Fair Oaks pediatric dentist? What causes “shark teeth” and when will professionals need to intervene? In this article, FO pediatric dentists, Dr. Cuauntemoc Gonzalez explains what to expect if your kids have developed shark teeth.

What Can Cause Shark Teeth in Children?

As you may know, baby teeth will typically loosen and fall out on their own. In typical cases, the permanent teeth will dissolve the baby’s teeth roots as they start to shift up. When the teeth fail to fall out, the permanent teeth are forced to erupt behind the milk teeth. Overcrowding may occur as a result.

The majority of the time ectopic eruptions will resolve on their own. However, it’s important to consult with your FO pediatric dentist to see what is recommended. Professionals may give the baby teeth time to fall out on their own or they may recommend having the baby teeth extracted. It all depends on your child’s unique smile. Once the baby teeth have either fallen out or been removed, the permanent teeth will then move forward into place, thanks to the natural pressure that the tongue applies to the teeth.

When will My Child Need to Visit their Pediatric Dentist at Surfside?

As mentioned above, there are some instances when the baby teeth may need to be wiggled out. 

If your child’s permanent teeth continue to erupt behind their baby teeth, they will likely need an extraction. If the double row of teeth becomes an issue on the upper front teeth, a tooth extraction is almost always recommended. Only because it’s very unlikely that the tongue will push permanent teeth into a forward position. 

We understand that for anyone, especially a child, the idea of a tooth extraction can be scary. At Surfside Kids Dental, we offer nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, to ensure that your child’s treatment is as easy and as pain-free as possible. If you have any questions or concerns about our pediatric dentistry services, feel free to contact Surfside Kid’s Dental.

Shark Teeth: A Parents’ Perspective

Surfside Kids Dental Client and Mom of Avery (Pictured Above) shared her experience with us.

 My kids have been going to Surfside for a few years now. We started at the Sacramento Surfside location and when Surfside took over another pediatric dental office in Fair Oaks we were really excited to transfer our kids there because it was quite a bit closer for us. I can tell you that I never minded the drive to the Sacramento location even though is about 30 minutes away for us because the care and experience was so different than anything that I had ever experienced in a dental office.

There’s something really special about the culture at Surfside that we noticed right away and our kids have never had a fear of the dentist they’ve been super excited for every single visit and that is something that has been really cool to see.

We recently had some challenges outside of our regular dental visits with my daughter who is six. We had noticed through her x-rays that she might be a late bloomer when it comes to losing her first tooth. The doctors assured us it was nothing to worry about. A few weeks later she had a  tooth break through right before her last visit. This is when we noticed her little teeth are coming in behind her regular teeth. Dr. Gonzalez assured us it was really nothing to worry about and they were just look at it at the next visit. The term he used was shark teeth. Of course my daughter loved that!

In December we came back for our regular cleanings and the doctor explained that while one tooth was a little bit wiggly the other one was not at all and that they were going to be there for quite a while so it might be good for us to bring her back so that the doctor could wiggle them out.

Obviously the situation is not ideal and I would have preferred to have them come out naturally but it just didn’t work out that way and instead of being disappointed, my husband and I decided that we wanted to make it a fun experience for her to lose her first tooth and the Surfside team did not let us down in that area. When we came in to get her teeth wiggled out, the gentle words and care with my daughter made a world of difference. They explained every step to her in a way that was fun and that she could understand. She was hardly nervous, no pain and  she felt incredibly special after her visit.

Thank you Surfside!

Lauren E.

Citrus Heights, CA