Most parents imagine their child’s first adult teeth coming in with the following storyline:

• child has a loose tooth
• loose tooth falls out
• toothless gap remains
• tooth fairy visits
• adult tooth emerges some time in the following weeks

Parents who haven’t seen it before may be in for a surprise, however, if their child develops “shark teeth” as part of their permanent tooth growing pattern. This is a common and natural occurrence where an emerging adult tooth takes the path of least resistance grows behind a baby tooth instead of directly underneath it.

Your child may notice the new tooth emerging behind a baby tooth before the baby tooth is ever loose. But parents, don’t worry. Shark teeth or double rows often need no intervention and most cases resolve within a month or two. Eventually, the adult teeth encroach enough to push the baby tooth out of the way and it will fall out naturally. We’ll follow up later this week with steps to take if you notice shark teeth in your child’s smile!