When a missing tooth can benefit your child’s long-term dental health

As your child’s home for comfortable, friendly, trusted, and even fun care, Groat Pediatric Dentistry helps protect natural teeth at every turn. With this proactive approach, built on a solid foundation of regular check-ups and professional preventative services, we help our pediatric patients from across the San Pedro, California area to avoid needing a tooth (dental) extraction. 

We also take both primary (baby) and secondary (adult) teeth very seriously! The baby teeth may be temporary, but they serve many vital functions. Notably, they help to guide the secondary teeth into proper placements. Early loss of a baby tooth can lead to a number of orthodontic problems down the road.

Even with this proactive approach at heart, we appreciate that accidents can happen. Essential teeth can be damaged beyond repair. These and other situations can make the extraction or removal of the affected tooth the best possible choice for your child’s comfort, health, and well-being. Our board-certified pediatric dentist, Dr. Christopher Groat, may recommend removal of a tooth if:

• It is severely decayed and cannot be preserved through other interventions. 
• An infection threatens your child’s oral and overall health, as it can spread beyond the mouth to even distant organs through the bloodstream.
• Your child’s mouth cannot accommodate all of the teeth.
• Crowded teeth may present difficulties for erupting or developing secondary teeth (and their proper, healthy development).
• A broken, injured, or traumatized tooth cannot be “saved” and remains weakened or vulnerable. 
• Orthodontic treatment is on the horizon (to make more space, accelerate the process, and enhance outcomes).

Rest assured that extractions and other procedures at Groat Pediatric Dentistry can be completed comfortably, with your child’s emotional and physical well-being as our top priority. We are happy to discuss anesthetic and relaxing sedative options for your child and other ways to ensure that the entire process is pleasant, inspiring trust, calm, and a sense of safety. Call (310) 832-5133 to schedule your child’s check-up at our San Pedro, CA office. We can help keep their smile as healthy as it looks and feels!