New Tooth when Old Tooth Hasn't Fallen Out? Question!

[ramama]

So, DD1 has her first loose tooth. It isn't very loose, I'd say moderately loose. Like, it's definitely loose, but not the flapping-in-the-breeze loose that makes me cringe. She noticed today that her new tooth is coming in behind it. I don't foresee her baby tooth to fall out for *at least* another 2-3 weeks, at the very earliest. Is this a problem? When does it become a problem, if ever? What should I look for, if anything?

She's almost 5 1/2 if that matters...

[vocalise]

My seven-year-old ds just got a baby tooth extracted at the dentist's because it wouldn't fall out on its own, and the adult tooth had already come in behind it. It wasn't a big deal at all, and they had decided to take a 'wait and see' approach at the appointment before that.

So I'd say, don't worry about it. Take her to the dentist if the old tooth doesn't fall out in a month or two, or if it starts causing her pain.

[katelove]

I had this with, I think, 6 teeth as a child. My bottom front teeth all came through fully and the baby teeth weren't the slightest bit loose. I had two rows of teeth for a while then the dentist removed them when they showed no signs of falling out. My last one was a lower molar, ?2nd, it was attached along the outer gum line and the adult tooth grew up under it and pushed it out so it was sitting on top of the adult tooth and kind of hinged on the outer gum line. I could wiggle it easily and part of it broke off but not the whole thing. Again the dentist eventually extracted it (and said it was very firmly attached).

I haven't had any problems as a result and, as we had excellent dentists, I am not at all afraid of the dentist as an adult.

P.S. I guess I would be worried if food was getting trapped and couldn't be removed completely with good oral hygeine.

[annethcz]

This has happened with about half of the teeth that my kids have lost. It hasn't been a big deal at all. Although some times it takes weeks (or months!) for the baby tooth to fall out, it hasn't been a problem. The tooth falls out eventually. As long as the child is able to brush and floss and eat normally, all is well.