Even though your child’s first teeth naturally drop out, they play a very important role in your baby’s dental development. When your child is born, all 20 of the primary teeth, which will appear over the next two years, are already present in your baby’s jaws. These teeth will remain under the gums until the front teeth begin to emerge at about six or seven months. Teething will continue on and off for about two years. Around age six the permanent teeth begin to appear and teething will continue on and off until about age twelve. At that point all the permanent teeth with the exception of the wisdom teeth are present.
Even though baby teeth will be replaced by the permanent teeth, they are crucial to the jaw development and positioning of the permanent teeth of your child. Baby teeth are responsible for guiding the permanent teeth into their proper place in the mouth. Hence, baby teeth that are missing or prematurely may call for preserving their natural space. We usually use a little device called a space maintainer. Call your pediatric dentist’s attention to any missing teeth.
We are born with two sets of teeth, primary or first and secondary or permanent. The primary teeth are also called deciduous, as are trees, which lose their leaves every fall. Deciduous teeth begin to appear at about six to eight months. 20 teeth make a complete set and all are in by age three. The three-year molar is the last to appear. The permanent teeth start to grow at about age six and all are present except the wisdom teeth between the ages of twelve to fourteen. The twelve-year molars are the last to grow in until the wisdom teeth start to break through from age 17 on.
Including wisdom teeth our permanent teeth number 32. Few people, however, have room for all 32 teeth, which is why wisdom teeth may need to be removed. The front teeth are called incisors, the eyeteeth are referred to as canines. Side teeth are premolars or bicuspids and back teeth are molars. Since our second set of teeth is the set we are supposed to keep for the rest of our lives, it is important that they are given proper care. Regular and thorough brushing and flossing as well as routine checkups by your pediatric dentist will do much to safeguard your smile.
Each anterior tooth grows from tooth buds. These three tooth buds fuse to form our permanent teeth. Anterior teeth have three points on them when they first erupt. These points are the Mammalons. Within one or two years the points of the Mammalons wear away, but the internal structure is still present.
How your child cares for his baby teeth will play an important role in how he treats his second and final set. Children’s teeth get plaque just as adult teeth do. Therefore, they need cleaning like permanent teeth. Because children’s mouths accumulate plaque just like adult teeth, their gums are also susceptible to the gum problems plaque can cause. Bleeding gums need to be cared for. Notify your pediatric dentist if your child’s gums bleed when he or she brushes.
Diet also plays an important role in the dental health of a child as it does an adult. Your child’s teeth need daily cleanings, and sweets and starchy foods kept to a minimum. Also, try to avoid having your child sleep with a bottle with milk, formula or fruit juice. This increases the risk of “nursing bottle mouth”. This condition destroys your child’s teeth through early, serious decay. Sugar in these liquids mixes with the bacteria in the dental plaque in the mouth to form acids that attack tooth enamel. Each time your child drinks liquids containing sugar, the acids attack the teeth for at least 20 minutes.
When the child is awake, their saliva tends to carry away the liquid. During sleep, the saliva flow decreases and these liquids pool around the child’s teeth for long periods, bathing the teeth in acid. Don’t think that a pacifier dipped in honey or sugar is beneficial either – this will damage the teeth just as easy. Best advice, if your child needs a bottle at bedtime, fill the bottle with plain water. Call your pediatric dentist’s attention to any discoloration on your child’s teeth.