What to Do About Milk Tooth Retention

Question

What to Do About Milk Tooth Retention?

Answer

Milk tooth retention refers to the situation where a milk tooth fails to automatically fall out during its expected shedding period, which is a common cause of abnormal eruption sites for permanent teeth. This condition is usually due to abnormal root resorption or alveolar bone adhesion. The conventional treatment for milk tooth retention is to promptly extract the retained milk tooth. If it is anticipated that the subsequent permanent teeth will not erupt normally in a timely manner, a space maintainer may be used to maintain the length of the dental arch. For permanent teeth with abnormal eruption pathways, the appropriate treatment method should be determined based on the specific situation. If a permanent tooth is congenitally missing and the positions of other permanent teeth are normal, the retained milk tooth can be kept. If other permanent teeth are crowded or protrude, the milk tooth should be extracted at an appropriate time, and the space left after extraction can be used to correct the positions of other permanent teeth.