One of the dental issues that an orthodontist can help address is hyperdontia, a formal way of saying that a person has more teeth than they should. We all start with 20 baby teeth and have 32 permanent teeth by the time that we reach adulthood. According to WebMD, hyperdontia is a rare dental issue that only affects about 3% of people in the U.S. Men are more likely to develop the condition than women.
An extra tooth does not always need to be addressed, and some people opt to leave it alone if it is not causing any problems. Issues that an extra tooth can lead to include:
Treatment options that an orthodontist might recommend for addressing an extra tooth include the following.
This is the go-to approach for many dentists when it comes to fixing an extra tooth, especially when it is discovered early in a child’s life. Removing an extra tooth early on helps prevent it from disrupting the eruption of other teeth. It is often the only treatment needed when extracted early.
An extra tooth might be impacted in some cases, meaning it gets stuck in bone or gum tissues as it erupts. In such scenarios, an orthodontist has to perform a surgical extraction of the impacted tooth. An early warning sign that a child might develop an extra tooth in the future is them having more than 20 baby teeth.
Local anesthetics are administered before extracting any teeth, so the patient does not feel pain while the orthodontist tugs on their tooth. Patients will experience a bit of pain and discomfort a few hours after the extraction when the anesthetic wears off, but the pain can be managed with prescription and over-the-counter painkillers.
Extractions come with a two-week recovery period. Patients should avoid irritating the surgical site during this period to avoid dislodging the clot that forms in the extracted tooth's socket.
People with extra teeth often develop issues like crooked or misaligned teeth due to not having enough space on their jaw for all their teeth to erupt correctly. Orthodontic appliances like braces and clear aligners can be used to restore the alignment of the patient’s teeth once the problematic tooth has been removed. Treatment times with these devices can be anywhere from 6 to 36 months.
An extra tooth can damage surrounding teeth, and it can increase the risk of tooth decay because it is harder to clean teeth surfaces around it. After the problematic tooth is removed, the patient’s smile can be restored with cosmetic restorations like composite bonding, veneers, or crowns.
If a patient has an extra tooth, they may be wondering what the best course of treatment is. Here are the answers to commonly asked questions about treating extra teeth.
An extra tooth is a supernumerary tooth that develops in addition to the normal complement of teeth. One can occur anyplace in the mouth but is most commonly found in the front. Extra teeth can cause problems with chewing and speaking and can crowd or distort the alignment of other teeth.
The treatment for an extra tooth depends on its location and how it impacts the bite. Treatment may not be necessary if the tooth is not causing any issues. If it is, treatment options include:
As with any medical procedure, there are risks associated with treating extra teeth. These include pain, bleeding, infection, and damage to nearby teeth. Patients should always talk to the dentist about these risks before undergoing any treatment.
Our orthodontist has years of experience extracting supplementary teeth and restoring the aesthetics of smiles. Call or visit our Fullerton clinic to set up an appointment.
Request an appointment here: https://www.fullertonfamilyorthodontics.com or call Fullerton Orthodontics & Children's Dentistry at (714) 459-8060 for an appointment in our Fullerton office.
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