The process of teething in babies is quite painful and, as a rule, causes inconvenience not only to the baby, but also to his parents. Symptoms that indicate that baby teeth are about to appear include redness and swelling of the gums, as well as crying and problems with appetite. Prepare for sleepless nights if you also notice short-term redness and a rash on your child's lower lip and chin. Unfortunately, a more severe process is also possible, accompanied by an increase in temperature. How are baby teeth structured, how long does it take for them to appear, and what should parents do during this difficult time? We will discuss this in this article.
The structure of the tooth.
A tooth is a bone located in the alveolar process of the jaw and consisting of various hard tissues (enamel, dentin, cement) and soft tissues (dental pulp). Anatomically, the following parts of the tooth can be distinguished:
- crown of the tooth (the part of the tooth protruding above the gum);
- tooth root (part of the tooth located in the jaw);
- neck of the tooth (a conventionally distinguished part of the tooth, which is a transitional area from the crown of the tooth to the root, covered with a thin layer of enamel)
The crown of the tooth is covered with enamel, the hardest tissue in the body, consisting of hydroxyapatite crystals. Beneath the enamel is a softer, more porous tissue called dentin. On the crown of the chewing tooth there are tubercles and fissures. Fissures are natural depressions on the chewing surface of the teeth between the cusps. Deep fissures are often the cause of the development of the carious process, because... a lot of plaque remains in them.
Inside the tooth there is a cavity containing pulp. The pulp of a tooth, in common parlance, the “nerve” of a tooth, is a neurovascular bundle consisting of blood vessels and a nerve. The neurovascular bundle provides nutritional function and replenishment of the composition of tooth tissue.
Each group of teeth differs in their structure, shape and function:
- incisors - involved in biting off food;
- fangs - provide “tearing off” and holding food;
- molars and premolars - are involved in grinding food to create an optimal digestive bolus.
Anatomy of different types of temporary teeth
- Incisors.
- Fangs.
- Molars.
Eight temporary incisors have the same structure - a fairly flat crown and 1 root. The incisors of the upper dentition, like the rest of the teeth, are larger than the lower ones. In the center, the incisors have one canal, and in 93% of cases, the lateral ones have two.
The four temporary canines are distinguished by a slightly sharp crown on all sides and the longest root. The crown of the canine preceding the permanent one is shorter and convex. The root has a rounded shape in cross-section and a slightly curved apex towards the buccal direction.
Each of the eight teeth of this type has a multi-cusped chewing surface and ends in several root canals. These are the largest teeth in childhood. The second molars are always larger than the first, which cannot be said about similar molars.
Teething in children.
Diagram and table of timing of eruption, location and loss of baby teeth in children
In humans, like almost all mammals, teeth erupt twice during life. The first teeth that appear in a child at the age of 6 - 9 months are called “milk” because of their color, as they have a soft white (milky) color.
Before appearing in the oral cavity, the tooth stretches the mucous membrane (the tooth can be easily felt with a finger), after which it breaks through it and appears in the oral cavity. In some children, a small bluish “bump” with transparent contents forms in the place where the baby tooth is about to erupt. This is an eruption cyst that forms over the future tooth. Despite the menacing name, in most cases, this goes away WITHOUT intervention from a doctor. The cyst breaks through and the long-awaited tooth appears. The cutting of a child’s first teeth is always a special and joyful event for parents, but it is often accompanied by unpleasant sensations and itching of the gums: therefore, the child is capricious and whiny, may sleep poorly, and puts everything in his mouth to “scratch” the gums and speed up the teething process. There may even be a slight increase in body temperature in a child due to teething. To represent the sequence of teeth erupting in a baby’s mouth, a diagram of the eruption of baby teeth in children is given. You can learn more about the sequence of eruption and replacement of baby teeth by reading the article “Teeth in children from 0 to 3 years old. When do children’s first teeth appear and cut?”
At the age of five years, the gradual replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones begins: under the “pressure” of new permanent teeth, the roots of the milk teeth dissolve and the milk tooth falls out (more precisely, the crown of the tooth falls out, since the root has dissolved). This is why, after a baby tooth falls out, it has no roots—hence the popular belief that baby teeth have no roots. At five years of age, the first permanent chewing tooth behind all the baby teeth is often the first to erupt. Parents often perceive this tooth as a milk tooth, since its eruption is not accompanied by the loss of any milk teeth: it seems that the child has 24 milk teeth.
The replacement of baby teeth with permanent ones is completed at the age of 13 years. By this age, a child usually has 24 teeth in his mouth, 6 teeth on each side of the jaw: central and lateral incisors, canine, first and second premolars and a molar. Next, the teenager’s second and third molars erupt. The latter is often called the “wisdom” tooth and it does not erupt until the age of 17–18 years. In some people, wisdom teeth do not erupt at all, as they are rudimentary.
When they fall out
Loss is associated with the growth of the upper and lower jaw, the approach of permanent rudiments to the roots of temporary canines, molars, and incisors. The latter begin to dissolve and stagger. The only exceptions to this rule are the radical “sixes” and “sevens” - they appear without the preliminary loss of milk analogues.
The lower central incisors leave the oral cavity before the rest. This event occurs every 5-6 years. After about a year, the upper incisors become mobile. The first and second molars are the last to fall out. Typically, a child loses his child’s bite at 10-13 years of age.
Difference between baby teeth and permanent teeth.
PHOTO: Caries of primary front teeth. The enamel of baby teeth is thinner and less mineralized, which makes it less resistant to caries.
Unlike permanent teeth, the “lifespan” of primary teeth is much shorter. Resorption of tooth roots begins 2-3 years after their eruption in the oral cavity and continues until they fall out.
Contrary to popular belief, baby teeth, just like permanent teeth, have roots and a nerve (pulp). The roots hold the tooth in the bone. Under the milk tooth is the germ of a permanent tooth. As the permanent tooth erupts, it stimulates the resorption of the roots of the baby tooth, and by the time the baby tooth falls out, only the crown remains.
Since baby teeth (like permanent teeth) have a nerve (pulp), they can hurt if an infection from a carious cavity enters the tooth cavity, causing the development of pulpitis (inflammation of the nerve of the tooth).
392measures and structure.
- Primary teeth are smaller than permanent teeth and have less massive roots;
- Baby teeth have a more complex anatomical structure of root canals, which leads to a more labor-intensive treatment process than in permanent teeth;
- The hard tissues of primary teeth are less mineralized and less resistant to abrasion and the development of caries.
- the hard tissues of baby teeth are much thinner than those of permanent teeth: the inflammatory process quickly reaches the nerve of the tooth;
Features of the root system of children's teeth
The structure of all dental canals includes coronal, middle and apical (apical) parts. The first, represented directly adjacent to the mouths, is the largest and widest. The middle part connects the coronal region with the apical zone of the root. The apical region is located below and often has a number of anatomical features: pathological or physiological resorption, fusion of several canals, lateral placement or open structure of the hole, strong narrowing or bending, ramification (branching), etc. The narrowest part of the root is located at the dentinocemental border. At a distance of 0.5-1 mm from the radiological apex there is a physiological opening. At an early age, root canals do not have a perfectly round cross-section. Only with age, due to the deposition of replacement dentin, its internal space takes on the shape of a circle.
Why are baby teeth needed?
Milk teeth are involved in the development of functions in the child such as chewing and pronunciation of sounds. Without them, chewing hard food would be impossible. The aesthetic component plays an important role.
Also, baby teeth hold space in the dentition for permanent teeth. The eruption of primary teeth stimulates the primary growth of the jaws. The second wave of jaw growth begins during the period of replacement of baby teeth with permanent ones. Early removal of primary chewing teeth leads to the displacement of neighboring teeth into the area of the missing one and the formation of crowding of teeth in the future!
Milk units in adults
It happens that doctors discover temporary units in the permanent dentition. Why are baby teeth sometimes retained in adults?
It's all about a dental anomaly, in which the rudiments of the molars, molars, premolars or canines are missing. Then the permanent teeth do not put pressure on the children's teeth. There is no loosening of the latter. As a result, even at thirty years old, a dentist can find a “hello” from a carefree childhood in the patient’s mouth.
Tooth development.
The formation of the rudiments of baby teeth in the fetus begins at 4–5 months of intrauterine development. That is why the mother’s illnesses during this period lead to disruption of various stages of dental development, for example, a violation of the mineralization of the tooth occurs. As a result, the enamel can become weak and brittle. Taking certain medications during this period can also affect the development of teeth. For example, if the mother was treated with tetracycline antibiotics, the child’s teeth will be dark yellow or even brown (so-called tetracycline teeth).
Enamel mineralization begins in the prenatal period and continues for 6 months after birth. Mineralization of the crown part of the teeth has time to take place in utero, while mineralization of the cervical region of the incisors, canines and molars continues after birth, in completely new and not always favorable conditions. The mineralization process can be negatively affected by the nature and diet, social living conditions and various diseases of the child (acute respiratory infections, intestinal infections and functional diseases). That is why the cervical area is the most vulnerable and typical place for the occurrence of “bottle” caries of primary teeth.
How to save
Caring for a child's smile should begin from the moment the very first incisor appears. Even then, parents must purchase a special device - a finger brush - to carry out hygiene procedures.
Children who are two or three years old need to buy a regular toothbrush. It would be good if it had soft bristles. Mom or dad must control that the baby efficiently cleans the enamel from plaque.
Twice a year, a preschooler should be taken to a pediatric dentist. Very often, caries develops unnoticed. Only a doctor can see it and prevent its spread.
Particular attention should be paid to diet. You should not feed your child sweets; give him candy often. But children need to be taught to eat fresh vegetables and fruits from childhood.
Children who have their own dentist from the age of three always have healthier teeth. They react as calmly as possible to all medical manipulations. Therefore, a lot depends on the parents.
