Commonly missing teeth are upper laterals, lower second premolars, and third molars. Treatment timing is important. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends children be seen around age 7, after the permanent first molars and incisors have erupted. If there are missing teeth, we can make certain decisions that will make treatment easier down the road. Some of the decisions are to:
1.) Wait on treatment with the idea of opening space to eventually replace them one day with implants or bridges. Before implants or bridges are placed, we need to make sure the patient's growth is complete. A great source of information about orthodontic treatment to prepare for implants is: http://www.kokichorthodontics.com/single-tooth-implants
2.) Close space. If we are closing space, we may decide to extract primary teeth sooner than they were supposed to exfoliate (fall out). The space may close on it's own or need orthodontics to close.
