Many parents are quite confused when their children start losing baby teeth and don't know what to do. In particular, during the time when children's permanent teeth start replacing their baby teeth, we often find that there is a gap between the child’s front teeth, or they may even grow into a "V-shape". At this point, many parents begin to worry: will my child look awkward when they laugh? Should I take some action?
In fact, we don’t need to worry too much. During the period of tooth replacement, permanent teeth replace milk teeth in a certain order and timeline. The upper central incisors (commonly known as front teeth) usually erupt between 6-9 years old. The lateral incisors erupt between 7-11 years old. Therefore, between 7-11 years old, there might be a gap between the two front teeth. However, once the lateral incisors erupt, the gap will naturally close.
Sometimes, the gap between the front teeth could be caused by the presence of extra teeth between the two front teeth. This can be determined through an X-ray examination, and the extra teeth can then be removed, allowing the gap to close.
Therefore, this requires careful observation from us as parents. Additionally, during this period, we should constantly supervise our children to avoid bad habits such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, and mouth breathing, which can negatively impact the health and beauty of their teeth in the future.