Q: My 5 year old son's teeth have got spoilt. Now I am taking good care of his teeth. But nearly 6 to 8 teeth are decaying. One was removed by the dentist 5 months back but till now he has not got a new one. Please let me know what should be done to get back the tooth. Also, will he get new teeth if the decayed ones are removed?

A:Firstly, I should inform you about how teeth fall and erupt. The milk teeth erupt from 6 months to 3 years and from 5 years till 12 years they are gradually replaced by permanent teeth. During this process the roots of milk teeth get re-absorbed and permanent teeth move into place. I do not know which tooth was pulled out in your child so I cannot reply that why the permanent tooth has not come in its place. Normally, the upper and lower front teeth erupt at about 6-7 years and then gradually back teeth erupt. If your child keeps good oral hygiene and you keep him away from sugary food like toffee, chocolates, ice creams, cold drinks etc., the permanent teeth will not have any cavities.