Persistent Deciduous (baby) Teeth

Persistent deciduous teeth should be extracted if the patient is older than 6 months of age or if the permanent tooth has erupted to half of the height of the deciduous tooth, and the deciduous tooth is not mobile. If the deciduous tooth is not extracted in a timely manner, periodontal disease or malocclusions (unusual alignment of teeth) may develop. Periodontal disease develops due to crowding resulting in an accumulation of debris.  Malocclusions develop due to the adult tooth not having the proper space to move into a correct occlusion.