Why Does My Child Have Shark Teeth?

“Shark teeth” is a term used to describe a situation where a child’s permanent teeth erupt behind the baby ones, leading to the appearance of 2 rows of teeth.

Usually, the permanent teeth erupt and slowly dissolve the root of the primary teeth, which essentially allows them to fall. Parents may be concerned if they notice their child is developing shark teeth and wonder what can be done to address this situation.

Luckily, while shark teeth may look scary, they are actually no cause for major concern. Here’s everything you need to know about them.

How Are Shark Teeth Treated?

Shark teeth usually begin to develop around the age of 6, when it’s time for the adult teeth to erupt. A lot of the time, they don’t even require extra treatment. As the permanent tooth continues to grow, the baby tooth will loosen and be ready to fall off. Parents can also “encourage” the baby's teeth to fall by gently wiggling them. This helps loosen the teeth and eventually fall.

Should You Take Your Child to the Dentist?

While shark teeth don’t necessarily mean future dental issues, it may be a good idea to take your child for a consultation anyhow.

The dentist can inspect the child’s mouth and determine what’s the best approach to address their case of shark teeth. Sometimes, it could be letting nature run its course.

But, in some cases, the dentist may need to take action and remove the baby tooth, usually because of one of these scenarios:

• The baby tooth is taking too long to budge - If the baby tooth shows no signs of loosening and the permanent tooth is beginning to erupt, then the dentist may consider it best to speed things along manually;

• The child is experiencing some discomfort - Usually, shark teeth will not affect the child. But in some cases, the baby tooth may be painful when wiggling, or the growing permanent tooth may be erupting in an improper position, causing a bit of discomfort. This again may be fixed by removing the baby tooth;

• The child may be developing crowding issues - Sometimes, the dentist may notice the erupting tooth is causing the other teeth to push together. To prevent crowded teeth, the baby tooth is quickly removed, which can also help prevent the need for an orthodontic intervention later on.

Bring Your Child to Big Picture Pediatric Dentistry

Have you noticed your child has shark teeth? Then it may be time for Dr. Jason Brock to see them for a quick consultation.

We understand that shark teeth can sound scary, but we assure you your child’s smile is in great hands with Dr. Brock.

To get started, you can book an appointment at Big Picture Pediatric Dentistry online.

Need more information? Then feel free to call us at (281) 461-7470 for a short chat.