Accidents happen, and when your child gets struck in the face and loses a permanent tooth, the results can be devastating to their self-esteem. Your child may feel embarrassed about their missing tooth or their new smile, and you will want to get them dental care immediately so they can have their original grin back. Your dentist may give you a few options to aid them in achieving a more natural alignment of teeth. Here are a few options your child may have access to when they lose a permanent tooth.
Bridge
If your child has all their permanent teeth but their jaw is still growing, they may be eligible for a porcelain tooth to replace the one they have lost affixed with a metal bridge to a healthy tooth on either side. This is a great option for your child to have a tooth replacement when they are not ready for a dental implant yet. A bridge tooth can be removed similar to a retainer so it can be replaced with a larger tooth as your child grows. When your child stops growing you can talk about more permanent options for your child's mouth.
Dental implant
While children are not usually candidates for dental implants to replace missing permanent teeth, if your child has all their adult teeth and their jaw has not shown signs of recent growth in current X-rays, this can be an excellent solution to their problem. A dental implant is a porcelain tooth affixed to the jaw bone for a permanent alternative to the tooth that is missing. The tooth is brushed and cared for just like the rest of your child's teeth and is dyed to match their natural color so it looks just like the rest of their enamel.
Retainer
If your child has a missing tooth and they are still in the baby tooth phase of their life, then a retainer that is placed behind their teeth with a new tooth in the specific spot where they have a space in their mouth is likely the best option. The retainer and its metal brackets keep the tooth in place even as the jaw shifts and the mouth changes from natural growth and baby tooth loss. When your child's mouth stops growing and they have lost all their baby teeth, you can then talk to their dentist about getting them a permanent dental implant to replace the retainer.
