title: Loss of deciduous teeth--is timing important to the GDP?
abstract: On a daily basis, GDPs encounter patients with prematurely lost deciduous teeth or, conversely, deciduous teeth retained well past their accepted exfoliaton date. The timing of deciduous tooth loss impacts on many aspects of the developing occlusion. The aim of the article is both to describe this impact and also to set out guidelines which should assist the general dental practitioner in the decision of when to lose deciduous teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The timing of deciduous tooth loss is an important concept which, when outside the normal pattern, may have adverse or beneficial side-effects that general dental practitioners should fully understand.
authors.affiliation: Newcastle Dental School, UK.
authors.forename: Rebekka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nunn
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sandler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012690:Serial Extraction; D013027:Space Maintenance, Orthodontic; D013997:Time Factors; D014078:Tooth Eruption / Q000502:physiology; D014080:Tooth Exfoliation; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000628:therapy; D057832:Watchful Waiting; D055815:Young Adult