When a Baby Tooth Remains Fixed to the Jawbone
(Ankylosis of Primary Tooth)
Ankylosis refers to a dental condition wherein a tooth becomes stuck in the bone and fails to
emerge. If left untreated, an ankylosed tooth can lead to orthodontic problems like crowding or
distorted jaw growth. The good news is that an ankylosed tooth is very treatable. Our approach
depends on the amount of damage the tooth has caused, so the sooner you come see us, the
sooner we can ensure that your child’s teeth come in healthy and straight!
The Tooth Station • 1621 Creekside Drive, Ste 101 Folsom, CA • 916-­‐984-­‐6747 1954 Del Paso Road, Ste 101 Sacramento, CA • 916-­‐419-­‐0020 www.thetoothstation.com This X-ray shows a baby tooth that has become
stuck in the bone. You can see that the middle tooth
is not as high up as the two teeth on either side of
it. If left untreated, the other teeth in the mouth
will continue to move upward, but the ankylosed
tooth may remain partially buried in the gums. This
can lead to abnormal bone formation in the jaw.
In addition, the adult or permanent tooth
underneath the baby tooth will orient to one side or
the other rather than emerging straight up, as seen
here. Frequently, children will have more than one
ankylosed baby tooth at a time, usually the tooth in
the same position on the opposite side of the mouth.
This photo is of the same tooth seen in the first X-ray
and clearly shows the tooth below the level of the other
teeth. Notice how close the gums are to the top surface
of the tooth when compared to the tooth behind it. The Tooth Station • 1621 Creekside Drive, Ste 101 Folsom, CA • 916-­‐984-­‐6747 1954 Del Paso Road, Ste 101 Sacramento, CA • 916-­‐419-­‐0020 www.thetoothstation.com This photo shows the removal of an ankylosed tooth. The
reason removal is necessary is to allow for normal bone
growth of the jaw and upright eruption of the permanent
tooth.
This photo was taken immediately after the removal of
the ankylosed tooth. Proper treatment of an ankylosed
tooth requires further treatment than the removal of the
problem tooth. If nothing else is done after the removal
of the tooth, the tooth behind the one removed will move
forward and eventually take its place. This creates
orthodontic problems, such as crowding.
Remember, there is still a permanent tooth in the bone
below the baby tooth that was removed. If the tooth
behind the one that was removed moves forward, there
will not be room for the permanent tooth to come in. The Tooth Station • 1621 Creekside Drive, Ste 101 Folsom, CA • 916-­‐984-­‐6747 1954 Del Paso Road, Ste 101 Sacramento, CA • 916-­‐419-­‐0020 www.thetoothstation.com To prevent the tooth behind the tooth removed from
moving forward, a space maintainer is placed in the mouth
and glued to the back teeth. This photo shows how the space maintainer works to
prevent the back teeth from moving forward. There is a
small wire attached to the bands around the back teeth
that rests against the inside of the lower teeth. This wire
prevents the back teeth from moving forward.
A space maintainer must be custom made for each patient.
This is done by taking an impression or mold of the teeth. The impression material is mixed in a bowl with water and
then placed into a tray. The Tooth Station • 1621 Creekside Drive, Ste 101 Folsom, CA • 916-­‐984-­‐6747 1954 Del Paso Road, Ste 101 Sacramento, CA • 916-­‐419-­‐0020 www.thetoothstation.com The tray with the impression material inside is placed into
the mouth of the patient. The impression material
hardens in about 1-2 minutes. This is then used to custom
make each space maintainer for the patient.
The space maintainer is placed into the mouth. The bands
wrap around the back teeth and are glued around those
teeth to stay in place. One can see the space maintainer in the mouth and how it
keeps both back molars from moving forward. The procedure is carried out using local anesthesia
(numbing medicine) with Nitrous Oxide, which is
sometimes called laughing gas. The patient is very
comfortable and is also very happy because the procedure
may have prevented the need for orthodontic treatment
or braces later.
The Tooth Station • 1621 Creekside Drive, Ste 101 Folsom, CA • 916-­‐984-­‐6747 1954 Del Paso Road, Ste 101 Sacramento, CA • 916-­‐419-­‐0020 www.thetoothstation.com