As your son or daughter’s jaw structure grows, their 20 baby teeth will gradually be replaced by their 32 adult teeth. This happens at different times over the span of several years. There are times when multiple teeth will emerge into a space that simply can’t accommodate them all. This can affect the alignment of other teeth in the area.
For some people with significant overcrowding issues, Dr. John R. Schouten might recommend extracting one or two teeth to accommodate braces hardware.
This is a last-resort treatment that is needed if a tooth is severely out of position. The extraction creates a small void that allows the neighboring teeth the space needed to be properly repositioned.
While their gums are healing, the incision site might weep a little blood. They can control the bleeding by lightly biting down on some rolled-up sterile gauze. Once the bleeding stops, they can gently clear away any blood clots and soothe the gums with a gentle rinse of lukewarm saltwater.
If possible, they should try to not chew on that side of the mouth until the gums have fully healed. You should also avoid using a straw when drinking. The suction could potentially pull a blood clot loose or otherwise affect the incision site.
If you live in the Evanston, Wyoming, area and your son or daughter is struggling with overcrowded teeth, you should call (307) 789-8742 to set up an orthodontic consultation at Uinta Orthodontics.
