My child has a supernumerary tooth. When should it be extracted?

The timing depends on the position of the extra tooth and its effects; it is most often removed around the early elementary years (ages 6 to 8). We remove it promptly if 1) it blocks a permanent tooth from erupting, 2) it opens a gap between the front teeth, or 3) there is a risk of a cyst forming. If it is embedded deep in an inverted position and causing no immediate problem, we sometimes wait until the roots of the neighboring permanent teeth have developed. However, a deeply impacted supernumerary tooth may require general anesthesia, so we follow it with periodic radiographs and decide whether and when to extract.