Extracting Crowded Baby Teeth

I'd ask for a 2nd opinion. She's 7. She's still growing. ALL children this age experience crowding issues because their jaws haven't grown to match her teeth yet. Personally, I'd wait to have anything pulled until she's in double digits and still not losing the teeth on her own. The only reason I'd have any teeth pulled at this age is if she's experiencing major pain & discomfort.

I have some experience with this. As a child my baby teeth did not fall out on their own... they also had to widen the roof of my mouth. My mouth was simply too small for all my teeth. I had to have 14 teeth pulled. I was a little bit older, I think 6th grade when all this was happening. The dentist that did my teeth pulling was a jerk, and I can remember every trip in there to this day. Just make sure they are sensitive to the fact that this is a young child, not an adult coming in there to have this work done. I actually had to have the nurse sit on my lap becuase I was so petrified of having the novacaine done. I am still sensitive about getting novacaine to this day because of it, and my current dentist is very understanding and does a great job dealing with my anxiety level.
After all was said and done this now 29 year old has had great teeth for over 15 years and I am glad I had it done, just wish I had it done in a way that was more suitable for a nervous kid getting numerous teeth pulled.

I had this done... they pulled 4 baby teeth and 4 adult teeth, then later I had to have an expanding retainer.... I was about her age.

I remember it being quite painful and difficult, but then again, I had 8 very sensitive holes in my mouth. The thing that made me most upset, is that I went to have the surgery to have my adenoids and 2 teeth removed, and when I woke up, I had 8 removed. Not very happy that I was not told the truth. So, I would simply explain the procedure, tell her how you will all help her heal and what she will have to do and eat, and explain how it will benefit her.

Now a days, it is more common to expand the mouth for new teeth, instead of pulling them. Have you thought about getting a second opinion?

I'm saying this part due to what GammaG said about the children getting braces at 7 and 8. Braces that young is a waste of time and money, and undue discomfort for the child, since teeth will reset, and the child will needlessly be in braces for many, many years. It's best to wait to do braces when they are preteens or early teen years, according to my pediatric dentist and my friends who are also dentists.

I had this done when I was about 8 years old. I had 4 baby teeth and some permanent teeth taken out, because my teeth were too big for my mouth. Today I only have 24 teeth in all along with braces and I did fine.

I had 11 teeth extracted as a child, many were baby teeth. I got used to the routine. In those days, they used laughing gas which was a bit funny to feel like I was on air, and then afterwards I got a popsicle. You can feel the spot in your gum with your tongue, but you know the big teeth will eventually fill it in. Just be sure it's necessary (as I had some premolars extracted for braces that apparently didn't need to be taken out, so don't be shy to check for a 2nd opinion) and then let her know it will all be okay. Good luck!

As a dental hygienist and a mom of 3, I can tell you that it is not unusual for baby teeth to need to be extracted. If you feel that you cannot trust your dentist and orthodontist's recommendations, find someone you do trust. All of my kids had to have ortho treatment, they're in their twenties, and have survived it all well. Nitrous is great help to alleviate anxiety. I'm not sure that I would be at all comfortable with a general anesthetic at this age or for this procedure. Often doing this now minimizes or makes it unnecessary for later treatment. I believe in telling the child the minimum amount of info; She'll likely focus on one word and stress on the one aspect endlessly. My middle has had sixteen teeth (including her wisdom teeth) extracted. Her reward has been having her smile complimented on by literally everyone she meets. It makes it all worth it in the end.

It is an awkward stage of development to say the least. If the orthodontist says it needs to be done then do it or find another doc. If you truly don't trust this doc then find another. Pulling baby teeth to help adult teeth have room is not common but only the doc saw the X-rays and knows for sure. My nurse friends kids had teeth pulled at 7 or 8 and they had to wear their braces starting then too but now they all have extremely beautiful smiles.

My six-year-old daughter just had three baby teeth extracted. She had absolutely no pain, no discomfort. She didn't even realize that they had given her an injection of novocaine because the dentist told her that he was just going to 'blow a bubble' in her mouth to make it feel funny. In addition to the novocaine, they gave her some nitrous. She didn't really remember a thing, she just said that she 'felt silly'.

It cost us over $200 all told, but that is a small expense to ensure that her adult teeth grow in as straight as possible. The more you can do for her teeth now will cut down on orthodontia expenses later, which is a great thing. That stuff is so expensive.

Just because she's still growing doesn't mean that preventive measures shouldn't be taken. They're baby teeth, they are going to fall out anyway, and you have to prepare for those adult teeth that she will have for the rest of her life!

My daughter loved her extra-special tooth fairy visit too! Altogether, it was a very positive experience for us.

I had several extractions in my young life...I think you have to tell her the truth and have the Dentist talk to her as well! If she is out of it during the procedure she will be fine.

My Mom use to take me to go get pancakes after the extractions...soft, sweet food without the risk of doing damage. TOTALLY made it worth it. Now my teeth are in great shape.

Make sure she knows that this happens to many many many people! She is not alone!

My 7yo (6 at the time) had 6 teeth pulled. They put him out for it, he didn't feel a thing and was totally fine pretty much by the time we got home!! I did get 3 opinions, one from a general dentist, one from a pediatric dentist, and one from an orthodontist. I also asked a friend of mine who is a dentist but he had never actually seen my son or his xray's so he could only confirm that what the other dentists were telling me made sense.

What I was told is that while the baby teeth will likely eventually fall out on their own, leaving them to do that could risk compromising the growing of the new teeth. They told me my son will still need braces. The first dentist said we needed to pull all those teeth AND spend like $2,000 on some kind of space maintainer, I was grateful for a 2nd (and 3rd) opinion on that because he didn't really need that and the way my insurance works, that would have been all of our orthodontia benefits gone and then nothing for the ensuing braces (and it was only going to cover like $300 of it).

Anyway, 2nd opinions are good but I don't think this situation is that unusual anymore, but I totally get your concern, I was the same way!!

I wish my child had seen a dentist that would have suggested this then maybe once he had to get braces he would not have had to have 4 permanent teeth pulled. Not sure how you can ease her mind about having teeth pulled, thank God baby teeth don't have long roots if any at all so it should not be real bad. But don't tell her that it will not hurt. Tell her that it will hurt some but the pain will go away pretty quick. Also if you can tell her to relax that will help, when your body is tense pain last longer.

Get a second opinion from a dentist and ortho! Kids loose their baby teeth at different rates, no kid is the same! My daughter is 10 and has no baby teeth left but when I was in 7th grade I still had a few!!

S.