A pediatric partial denture is a temporary dental device that's designed to be an inexpensive way to replace a missing baby tooth. While children naturally lose their baby teeth as they grow older, it's important to replace a missing baby tooth in some circumstances.

Baby teeth hold a space in the gums open, providing a place for a permanent tooth to come in. If a baby tooth is missing, nearby teeth can start moving into that open space, and the permanent tooth may come in at an angle if it's blocked by other teeth.

When a pediatric partial denture is used to replace a missing baby tooth, it will do the job of keeping that space open for the permanent tooth that's meant to erupt there. To learn when your child might need to get a pediatric partial denture, read on.

Your Child Has a Severe Tooth Infection

When an adult tooth has a serious infection that has spread into the pulp and root of the tooth, the usual treatment is to perform a root canal on it. A root canal is a lengthy procedure that removes all of the infected tissue and replaces the core of the tooth with a paste that reinforces the tooth and prevents any more bacteria from getting in.

For a baby tooth, however, your dentist may recommend extracting the tooth instead of performing a root canal. The baby tooth is destined to fall out regardless, so there's less of a pressing need to save it. Extracting the tooth will get rid of the bacteria that are causing the infection, preventing it from spreading to the gums or the jawbone.

After the tooth is extracted, your child should have a pediatric partial denture placed in the spot where it came out. This will prevent the adjacent teeth from shifting and occupying the position where the extracted tooth used to be, which will give the permanent tooth enough space to erupt.

Your Child Lost a Tooth Because of an Injury

It's not always possible to reattach a baby tooth that fell out due to a facial injury. When this happens, your pediatric dentist will extract any remaining portion of the tooth that's in your child's gums in order to prevent it from becoming infected. After all of the tooth is gone, your child will need a pediatric partial denture to replace the missing tooth in order to keep the space open for the permanent tooth.

Your Child Had a Tooth Fall Out Earlier Than Normal

Your pediatric dentist can provide you with a chart that shows when a child normally loses each of their baby teeth. If a baby tooth falls out much earlier than indicated on the schedule, you should take your child to the dentist.

Your pediatric dentist can take X-rays of your child's mouth to find out how close the permanent tooth is to erupting. If the permanent tooth won't erupt for a while yet, your dentist will likely recommend a pediatric partial denture to act as a replacement tooth until the permanent tooth finally comes in.

Pediatric partial dentures play an important role in protecting your child's oral health by giving the permanent teeth ample space to erupt. Once the tip of the permanent tooth starts coming out of the gums, the partial denture can be easily removed. If your child has lost a tooth earlier than it would naturally fall out and they don't have a pediatric partial denture to act as a replacement, schedule an appointment with your child's pediatric dentist and ask about having one placed. 

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