PREVENTING INJURIES TO FRONT TEETH
The lower two front deciduous or milk teeth on either side of the midline of the face also called “Deciduous Central Incisors” are the first teeth in the mouth to shed at around the age of 6 years. The permanent lower front teeth on either side of the midline come from underneath the deciduous central incisors and cause the roots to dissolve. This is known as “Resorption” of the roots and these erupt in the mouth causing the deciduous teeth to become loose and fall off. This is the pattern followed by all permanent teeth which cause the deciduous teeth to fall off. In the event the permanent central incisors erupt in the mouth and the deciduous teeth do not fall off they have to be removed by the dentist. The next to erupt are the upper permanent central incisors carry the upper deciduous central incisors to shed. The teeth or either side of the central incisors are called “Lateral Incisors”. As a rule, the permanent teeth in the lower arch erupt sequentially compared to the corresponding upper teeth. So these four upper and four lower front teeth are very vulnerable to injuries as children play rough games from a young age till the age of fourteen. Usually, on injury, the tooth chips which in reality looks worse than it is and can sometimes be rectified with tooth colored filling material, not caps or crowns. In more severe injuries, additional treatment may be required. So while rough games cannot be avoided, in case of injury, immediate dental attention is required. For those playing games like football and hockey, a mouth guard is a fabrication that absorbs the force of the injury and is reasonably priced.