Articles by Dr. Toro and Dr. Fertman

It is not uncommon for wisdom teeth to be missing.  No one seems to care, but when any other teeth fail to develop, it’s time to make a plan.

Other than the wisdom tooth or third molar, the next most common tooth to be missing is the lower second premolar.  About 3% of children are missing this tooth, and 2% are missing the upper lateral incisor.  That’s the one next to the large upper front teeth.  Upper premolars and lower incisors (those little front teeth) can also fail to develop, but at a lower incidence.

The eye tooth is a unique tooth.,  It sits at the corner of the mouth and adds fullness to the lip.  It has the longest and strongest root, and it also tyravels the furthest when erupting into the mouth. That explains why the eye tooth gets into the most trouble from an orthodontic point of view.

There is a general belief that children don’t need to see an orthodontist until they have lost all of their baby teeth. Many parents and well meaning dentists hold this view. This is not always in the best interests of patients.