[joykat]

Our 10 year old had his baby tooth pulled at age 8 1/2 because there was another tooth behind it. The permanent tooth was above the second tooth. However it has not appeared yet. We have had x rays done twice since the extraction, and they say the tooth is moving down, but we still see no sign of it. I am growing impatient and want so reassurance that it is on its way.

[J_9]

Be sure it is on its way. Did he get his baby teeth at an early age, say 3 months? Or was it later?

If it is moving on the x-ray it surely will come down. Not to fret.

[joykat]

Thank you for responding, are you a dentist, that would reassure me if you are. Also, his teeth came in rather late if I remember correctly, that was a long time ago. My husband and I have 6 children, so my memory of when all their teeth came in is foggy. I do think his teeth came in at about 9 months of age

[J_9]

No, I am not a dentist, only a nursing student. But I have 4 kids who range in ages from 20 all the way down to 4. I remember my 12 year old had a tough time with this. Her tooth turned grey, the dentist said it was because the baby tooth died as the adult tooth was coming in.

She lost her baby tooth around 8 and it took almost a year for the adult one to come in. A lot of it has to do with when the baby teeth came in.

If they come in late, then most likely the teeth will fall out late and it will take longer for the adult teeth to come in, on average.

My friend who is a dental hygenist (I just got off the phone with her) said that if the dentist sees the tooth on the x-ray it is there, not to be alarmed, sometimes they are slow moving down.