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A 45-year-old member asked:

How to tell whether a tooth is a baby tooth or permanent tooth?

3 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Theodore Davantzis
Dentistry 42 years experience
Not without an exam: You will need to see a local dentist to tell you if a tooth is a baby tooth or a secondary tooth. This cannot be answered over the internet without visualization.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Robert Brodsky
Geriatrics 60 years experience
Yes: Most of the time it can be decided just by looking at it. Sometimes, however, we need to get an xray.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Arnold Malerman
Orthodontics 55 years experience
Dental anatomy: You can tell by the size, shape, color, position, your child's age when tooth erupted, and appearance on x-ray. Ask hour dentist, he or she will know.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

A 46-year-old member asked:

Can you tell whether a tooth is a baby tooth or permanent tooth just by looking at it?

2 doctor answers6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Craig Fisk
Dentistry 14 years experience
Yes: While it may take some practice and familiarity with dental anatomy, it is usually easy to tell a baby tooth from a permanent tooth. The biggest difference is the tooth's size. With few exceptions. Baby teeth typically look like smaller (1/2 size) versions of their permanent counterparts.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Jun 4, 2013

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