Question

"Patient: Male, 22-years

Chief complaint: Requests routine checkup.
Background: Recently moved to your town and seeks regular care. He has no relevant medical history.
Current Findings: The patient has good oral hygiene and low caries experience. Several of his posterior teeth have been fissure sealed. You notice that his tooth #T is present, so that in this quadrant there appears to be one premolar, and three molars. Radiographs show that all third molars are absent, and there are no unerupted teeth. The patient was aware that he still had a ""baby tooth"", but it has never bothered him.

At approximately what age should this patient's retained deciduous tooth have been exfoliated?
a. 12-years
b. 9-years
c. 6-years
d. 15-years"

Answer 1

A 22-year-old male patient has a retained deciduous tooth that should have been exfoliated and replaced by a permanent premolar around the age of 12 years.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question concerns the normal age at which deciduous teeth, commonly known as baby teeth, are exfoliated and replaced by permanent teeth. In the case described, the patient has retained a deciduous tooth that should have been exfoliated and replaced by a permanent premolar. According to the developmental timeline for permanent teeth eruption, the deciduous premolars are typically lost and replaced by permanent premolars between the ages of nine and 12 years.

Since the patient is a 22-year-old male who still has a deciduous tooth, it can be inferred that the exfoliation did not occur as expected during the normal developmental period. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is:

The retained deciduous tooth should have been exfoliated at approximately 12 years of age.