Had Tooth Resorption? Your Child Could Get It, Too

Tooth resorption is a strange condition that can strike anyone, anytime. If you had tooth resorption earlier on in life, it's possible that your child could develop it, too. Here's a refresher course on what exactly tooth resorption is and why your child is at a higher risk of getting it.

What It Is

Tooth resorption is a condition where the body essentially goes haywire and does something it shouldn't.

When you were a child, your teeth naturally underwent tooth resorption because the body was preparing to release the teeth so that adult teeth could move in. However, this process isn't supposed to happen with adult teeth. The adult teeth are there for good, after all, but nonetheless, some people develop this condition with adult teeth and are at risk of losing their teeth as a result.

Why It Travels in Families

Doctors aren't entirely sure just yet why tooth resorption happens to some people and not others, but they believe that there could be a genetic component to it. This means that if you had tooth resorption, your child could be at a higher risk of getting it, too. The risk is doubled if you and your significant other both had tooth resorption earlier in life, so make sure to talk it over with your child's parent to find out if this was something you both went through.

What to Do

Unfortunately, tooth resorption can't be prevented. This condition happens when it happens, and there's nothing to be done about it but to treat it.

However, that doesn't mean that your child has to experience pain and suffering as a result. By visiting the dentist on a regular basis, typically twice per year, you can prevent that from happening. Dental X-rays can reveal when tooth resorption is occurring, and your dentist can immediately go to work to put a stop to it. Tooth resorption is treated by drilling the tooth and removing the inner portion of the tooth that's being absorbed. Once it's gone, the body stops absorbing the tooth and your child can go back to their normal life.

Tooth resorption won't happen to everyone, and just because your child might get it doesn't mean that it will impact every one of their teeth. However, if they do develop it, nothing but dental X-rays will catch it early enough to prevent pain, so make sure that you're opting in for those X-rays whenever your child goes to your family dental clinic.