Baby to Permanent Teeth

As your child nears age 6, the jaws grow, making room for the permanent teeth. At the same time, the roots of the primary teeth begin to be absorbed by the tissue around them, and the permanent teeth under them prepare to erupt.

The first permanent molars usually erupt between ages five and six, so they are sometimes called the six-year molars. Because the six-year molars do not replace any primary teeth they are often mistaken for primary teeth. You should remember that they are permanent teeth and must be cared for properly if they are to last throughout your child's lifetime. These molars are especially important because they determine the shape of the lower part of the face. They also affect the position and health of the other permanent teeth.

Sometimes a primary tooth is lost before a permanent tooth beneath it is ready to erupt. If primary teeth are lost too early, nearby teeth can tip or move into the vacant space. When the permanent teeth are ready to come into the mouth, there will not be enough room. As a result, they may erupt out of their proper position, leading to malocclusion.

To avoid such future problems, your dentist may recommend using a space maintainer to reserve space for the permanent tooth. If a primary tooth does not fall out when it should, your dentist may recommend that it be removed to prevent the irregular eruption of the permanent tooth.

Your dentist may recommend that your child use an over-the-counter fluoride mouthrinse daily after age six. Be sure to instruct and, if necessary, supervise your child in the use of these mouthrinses. By age 7, your child should be able to brush alone. Flossing, however, is a more difficult skill to master. At about age 8, the child should be able to floss his or her own teeth under your supervision.

Above article written by: DentalHealthOnline.net

Scott C. Peters, D.M.D., LLC
Dentistry for children, adolescents and
patients with special needs
156 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430
(201) 529-9000

Laser Dentistry

Lasers are commonplace today, they are used now in everything from your CD player to high tech machines. Did you know that they are also very useful in dentistry?


Doctors have used lasers for years to Provide better care for their patients – in LASIK vision correction, for removing skin blemishes, and in all kinds of surgery.


The laser creates special, highly concentrated light energy, and sends it through an optical fiber to its handpiece. The dentist uses the handpiece to aim the laser energy precisely at the areas to be treated. Some laser systems combine the laser energy with a gentle spray of water.


The Benefits of Laser Dentistry

More Comfortable

Waterlase Dentistry uses laser energy and a gentle spray of water to perform a wide range of dental procedures – without the heat, vibration and pressure associated with the dental drill. With many procedures, it’s possible to use less anesthetic, and often no anesthetic at all.

More Convenient

The Dentist can often get you and you child in and out of the dentist chair faster, since it’s less likely that they will need an injection – research shows that the vast majority of patients don’t. It’s nice to avoid that shot, isn’t it? Not using anesthetic can allow your dentist to perform procedures that used to require more than one visit in a single appointment. Also, a Waterlase Dentist can perform procedures that once meant an additional trip to a specialist, saving you even more time.

More Precise

The Dentist can remove decay far more precisely than a dentist using a drill. This saves more of the healthy parts of your tooth. Saving your natural teeth can save you from the discomfort and cost of future tooth breakdown.

The Laser is really a great thing for the Pediatric Dentist. I can do fillings without getting the kids numb (No Needle) and can take away much less tooth structure than with traditional methods.