What if there are two teeth growing in one spot?
Occasionally, a permanent tooth begins to erupt before your child's baby tooth falls out. It may come in behind or in front of the baby tooth. This is called an ectopic eruption. Encourage your child to wiggle out his/her baby tooth. If the permanent tooth is more than halfway in (see photo), your child may need help in getting the tooth out. Please call our office for an appointment.
Also in the picture, you will notice that the two new teeth called central incisors have distinct ridges on the top. These are called mammalons, and they are completely normal. The front teeth on both the top and the bottom are formed in three sections called lobes which fuse together. If your child has these prominent mammalons, most of the time they will be worn flat with the natural, everyday activities such as eating, talking, and the touching of the upper and lower teeth together.
Doctor Wang, Doctor Perea-Corkish, Doctor Gerodias and the other Doctors of Discovery Pediatric Dentistry make no warranties, expressed or implied, as to any results to be obtained from use of the information on this page. We cannot diagnose or treat patients over the Internet. Information on this site is for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal, medical, and/or dental attention or diagnosis. Without all available information about a patient, it is impossible to make a diagnosis. Help and answers are in the form of general ideas. Only you, your dentist, and other necessary and qualified health care providers can make an appropriate treatment decision in an emergency or for everyday care and dental treatment.