  urlLink Pediatric Oncall- Dental injuries and trauma : Any injury to the child’s primary tooth has the potential to damage the developing permanent one, especially if the damage occurs before age 3. This is why it is important to report any such injury promptly to the child’s dentist. The permanent top central incisors begin mineralization at birth, and takes about 3 years to completely form .If during this critical time the root of a primary tooth is pushed into the crown of the developing permanent, a defect may develop in the permanent tooth. Don’t be surprised then, if the pediatric dentist recommends removing the primary tooth following an injury to an infant’s tooth.
If removal may help prevent infection or injury to the developing permanent tooth, the dentist is likely to advise this treatment- even if it makes the parents feel guilty and unhappy. Loss of a top front tooth in a child under 3 generally does not affect speech, growth patterns, or psychological development. Children are generally not tooth conscious until 5 or 6 years of age. And by that time all their friends are losing their front teeth anyway. 
