Dear Dr. Roach: What causes the growth of new teeth at my current age? I am a 74-year-old woman in good medical health except for a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Generally, I feel well and keep active.
I noticed nubs behind my lower front teeth — two on each side — about three to four years ago. They were small, but seemed to have grown some since then. They don’t cause me any problems yet, but I am afraid that they might move my teeth forward. I have all of my teeth except for my wisdom teeth. I have never had a toothache.
M.G.
A person is born with all the teeth they will ever get, but they are not normally erupted at birth. Normally, your deciduous (primary or baby) teeth begin to come in, or erupt, between 6 to 10 months and start to fall out at about age six; then your permanent teeth take their place. A few percent of people will have additional teeth, called supernumerary teeth, which can occur in any place within the mouth, but more commonly occurs in the maxilla (upper jaw) rather than the mandible (lower jaw). When these erupt, it usually is between age seven and 10.
The oldest person I could find in the literature with eruption of supernumerary teeth is aged 70 (although one of my dental colleagues told me he has a patient, also in her mid-70s, with this condition). They need to be extracted if they are impacting the existing teeth or causing other complications.
I can’t be sure at all that these nubs you are feeling are supernumerary teeth that might be erupting. I certainly recommend a visit with the dentist as soon as possible to confirm this unlikely diagnosis or to opine on some other cause, such as retained deciduous roots.
Dear Dr. Roach: I am 58 and have diabetes. I have been having trouble falling asleep. I watch TV when trying to sleep. I fall asleep, get up to urinate, and then can’t fall back asleep again. My mom passed away a few months ago — do you think that has anything to do with my sleep habits? This all started right after she passed.
N.N.E.
I am sorry about your mother. I do think that grief after a parent’s passing can have a big effect on sleep, but I suspect there may be more than one issue here.
The first is that I recommend against watching TV (or using any kind of screen device, computer, phone or tablet) right before bed. The light is a signal to your brain to stay awake and can upset your circadian rhythm, which helps keep you asleep during the nighttime. Most experts recommend no electronic devices one or even two hours before bedtime. Even the room light shouldn’t be very bright.
Getting up to urinate is a problem for many, but I think many people wake up and then go urinate — rather than wake up because they have to urinate. It may be a sleep issue, not a urination issue. Still, urinating a second time immediately before going to bed can make a surprising difference in helping people stay asleep.
Finally, grief reactions are common and sometimes need treatment, either therapy or medication, if they interfere with your life, and it might be wise to have a visit with your doctor to discuss how you are feeling after your mom passed. It might also be wise to get checked to be sure your diabetes is under control and that there isn’t a urine infection.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu
