The structure of the human tooth: what do we know about it? The structure of milk teeth. Features of the structure of milk and permanent teeth.

Milk teeth “live” 6-12 years, but play an important role - they participate in chewing and bite formation. If not properly cared for, they become a source of subsequent problems for permanent chewing units. Parents need to know what the structure of a baby tooth is. This will help you understand how to care for them and prevent diseases.

Understanding the structural features of a baby tooth begins with knowledge about the structure of permanent teeth, because the structure is identical. Based on location and tasks performed, there are 4 groups:

Incisors, four on each jaw. Externally, the incisors resemble a chisel; their main purpose corresponds to the name: to bite off food, dividing it into large pieces.
Fangs (two on top, the same number on the bottom), necessary for tearing the product and holding it in the mouth.
Premolars (two on each jaw) that grind food.
Molars, their number is from 8 to 12. The difference is explained simply: molars include “wisdom teeth”, sometimes missing: this is not a pathology, but a variant of the norm.

Milk teeth “live” 6-12 years.
An adult has 28-32 teeth, depending on the presence or absence of third molars.

Anatomy

The chewing unit consists of three parts:

A crown located above the gum.
A root that holds an organ in an alveolus (a kind of depression) that has one or more processes.
The neck is the narrow area that separates the crown from the root.

The internal part is a cavity consisting of the root canal and the pulp chamber. Reliable connection with bone tissue is ensured by strong fibers. The ligamentous apparatus functions not only as a latch, but also as a shock absorber necessary when chewing.

Fabrics

Permanent and baby teeth consist of several tissues:

The structure of baby teeth

Primary teeth are formed normally during the sixth week of intrauterine development, when epithelial cells rapidly divide, forming a hard plate. In infants, they first appear at 6 months, and are fully formed by 3-4 years. The indicated deadlines are conditional, approximate, they can be shifted individually.

The number of milk units is 20: 8 molars, the same number of incisors, 4 canines. The central incisors erupt first and the molars last.

The structure of baby teeth differs little from permanent teeth: they consist of the same anatomical parts and tissues. But there are features:

The crowns are low, the distance between them is large: this is how nature intended it to simplify loosening and falling out during shifts.
The roots are long, thin, radiating to the sides, dissolving when replaced with permanent ones.
The thickness of the enamel is no more than 1 mm, half that of adults.
Dentin is softer, the degree of mineralization is lower.
The channels are wider.
The pulp size is larger. Due to the reduced volume of dentin, it is located near the surface.

The statement that babies have no pain because there are no nerves is a myth. The frequent absence of pain is due to the rapid destruction of immature loose tissue, which does not have time to send a pain signal to the brain.

How do these features affect the development of possible diseases of the mammary units and their care?

Features of care

Baby teeth fall out. For this reason, adults do not take them seriously, making mistakes. Proper care and regular cleaning are important for several reasons. Early loss causes improper formation of the bite and impaired diction. Asymptomatic pulpitis causes inflammation to spread to bone tissue, and then to the rudiments of permanent units.

If the situation is neglected, the damage is so severe that the ability to erupt is lost. Regular visits to the dentist will help prevent the development of problems, even in the absence of complaints.

Sources:

Gaivoronsky I.V. Anatomy of human teeth, textbook. Moscow, 2005.
Persin L.S. Pediatric dentistry. Moscow, 2003.

All newborn babies, as well as their parents, have to go through a difficult stage associated with the eruption of their first milk teeth. At this time, children usually become capricious, sleep poorly and cry a lot. To help their child get through this difficult period easier, parents should learn more about how many baby teeth should erupt, when to expect the first teeth to appear, what you should pay special attention to, and how to understand when it’s time to go to the dentist. In our article today we will try to give comprehensive answers to all these questions.

Timing of eruption

The eruption of baby teeth begins at approximately 6-8 months. But they “live” for a relatively short time - up to 6-12 years. It is unlikely that they will appear, since this physiological process is influenced by many factors: genetic inheritance, physiology, nutrition, including the woman herself during pregnancy. Let's figure out how many baby teeth grow in children, as well as how the process of their appearance and subsequent loss occurs.

For the convenience of monitoring how correctly the teething process is proceeding, you can use the sign “Dairy teeth in children. Scheme of eruption."

Stages of emergence of time units

Children have a special order in which their baby teeth erupt. First, parents will be pleased with their appearance of the incisors, which are located in the central part, with those on the lower jaw coming first. After approximately 30-60 days, the incisors on the upper jaw will appear.

Interesting to know! Teeth grow in pairs. If the lower incisors have appeared, then soon you can expect the appearance of their upper counterparts. If molars appear on top, then their lower pair will also not be long in coming.

Following the first erupted units, the upper lateral incisors begin to grow, and their lower pair grows simultaneously or with a lag of up to 30 days. Behind the incisors, a pair of upper molars will appear on the “stage”, and later the lower ones will appear. After the chewing units erupt, fangs begin to appear on top, then below. In this regard, a completely logical question arises: “So how many baby teeth should children normally have?” The correct answer is 20 pcs.

There is a special rule that helps to accurately determine the number of milk units that should erupt in your beloved baby at a given time. The rule says: “We subtract the number 4 from the baby’s age (in months) and get a number that should correspond to the number of units your child has already acquired.” This calculation principle is valid for approximately 24 months.

Good to know! By the age of 3, a child usually has already erupted all 20 elements of the primary occlusion. It’s not scary if they do not appear in accordance with the traditional order of eruption - this process is purely individual.

Parents ask no less questions about the loss of baby teeth in children. This process will begin at 6-7 years of age. The beginning of the shift will be marked by the loss of the central incisors, which are located on the lower jaw, and after a year, the upper ones will also fall out. Permanent ones will grow in the vacant spaces that are created. At the age of 7-8 years, the change of the lateral incisors will begin: the elements of the lower jaw will be the first to leave their places, and then within 12 months the upper ones will also fall out. The next ones to take over will be the baby fangs. The process will begin at about 9 years old and end at 12.

But molars have a different pattern of loss - they begin to leave their places from the lower jaw. Premolars will replace them, and this will happen at the age of 10-12 years. The second quadruple of premolars will be replaced by the age of 11. But eights, popularly called “wisdom teeth,” will show themselves only by the age of 17, and may not erupt at all.

The period when baby teeth fall out in children, as a rule, is not accompanied by any particular discomfort. The process is natural and biological and usually does not require outside intervention.

Structural features

Milk teeth are characterized by their structural features. The following points distinguish them from their older brothers:

The color of milky enamel has a blue tint,
crowns are more rounded and lower when compared with permanent units,
the central incisors on the cutting edge have irregularities similar to jagged edges, which wear off over time;
they are all significantly smaller in size than those of an adult,
root canals are wider than those of permanent units,
on the upper part of the crown, the enamel has a significant thickening, forming a kind of ridge,
enamel is thinner due to its limited mineral composition,
dentin is soft,
premolars are absent, and their place is taken by molars,
hard tissues are extremely susceptible to destructive carious processes.

All of the above described anatomical and physiological features of the structure of baby teeth are necessarily taken into account if there is a need for their treatment or.

Features of primary incisors

The first teeth have their own anatomical features; first of all, they differ in shape. The crowns have serrations on the cutting edge, which form vertical grooves passing through the enamel ridge from the vestibular, that is, the outer side. Gradually, these irregularities are erased due to constant mechanical impact and friction.

Important! Most often, bite problems are associated with the incisors. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor their size (whether they are too large or, on the contrary, small), inclination, and the distance between these elements in order to avoid pathologies of permanent occlusion requiring orthodontic correction in the future.

Incisors are always larger than other teeth. Their impressive size allows you to evenly distribute the chewing load throughout the jaw. In front they have a more rounded surface than permanent ones. However, in the case of children, their roots are not as long as those of adults, although slightly longer than the roots of the same primary molars.

Hard fabrics

Our teeth are made up of hard and soft tissue. Hard tissues are enamel, dentin, cement. Soft - pulp. The enamel is the outer visible part of the crown, the dentin surrounds the pulp, the pulp is in the cavity of the tooth, and the cementum covers the root. Now let's look at these components in more detail.

1. Enamel and dentin

Enamel is the hardest tissue of our body as a whole. If we compare it with metal, then its strength will be comparable to the strength of quartz. The main content of minerals is found in hard tissue and reaches the upper limit of 97% of the entire composition of the permanent tooth. For a temporary one, this content is 30% lower.

Most of it is dentin. This connective tissue consists of dentinal tubes. In children, dentin is thinner and softer than in adults. Dentin and enamel in children have their own differences from similar components of mature chewing units:

enamel practically merges with dentin, since there is no clearly defined barrier between them,
the walls of the dentinal tubes are looser,
the enamel is soft and thin.

The organic component is very small; it does not include nerve canals and blood vessels. The outer layer of the time unit cannot be called static. The processes of remineralization and demineralization - saturation and destruction of microelements - constantly occur in it.

2. Structure of the pulp

Pulp is loose soft tissue that is located in the body of the crown. This constituent element is the basis of a young tooth. The pulp, interacting with dentin, forms a single complex. The vessels included in the anatomical and physiological structure of the pulp of primary teeth act as tubules for the movement of dentin.

The soft tissue of an adult is extremely sensitive, because it consists almost entirely of nerve endings and blood vessels. Often the child does not have pronounced sensitivity due to the rapid destruction of the pulp due to carious lesions. Therefore, it is very important for parents to monitor the condition of their children’s primary occlusion.

The anatomical and physiological characteristics of the pulp in children cause a peculiar course of inflammatory diseases. Wide root canals, allowing infection to quickly cover all internal structures, as well as the large size of the pulp - all this leads to the fact that not only loose substance, but also lymphatic vessels and nerves are involved in the inflammatory process.

3. Crown structure

In the anatomical and physiological structure of a baby tooth, 3 main elements can be distinguished:

crown - a thickened element of the chewing unit, covered with enamel,
neck - the part free from enamel that connects the crown and root,
root - the part of the tooth that holds it in the jaw bone.

Normally, the crowns of the incisors are slightly larger than the canines and molars. They are located at an angle of 90 degrees along the cutting and lateral (medial) surface. If all 20 milk units are present, the distance between them should be negligible. In case of any deviations, it is necessary to urgently contact a pediatric dentist.

Enameled crowns have distinctive features from permanent units: the crowns are low, short, small in size, with a bluish tint to the coating.

With the advent of new chewing units, the distance between them increases, more free space appears, which in the future will help the temporary element to loosen and fall out without interference.

Problems of growth and development of the jaw system

If you decide to stop breastfeeding, you should pay close attention to the formation of the first bite. During natural breastfeeding, the child uses all the maxillofacial muscles, which has a beneficial effect on the correct formation of the bite. However, this does not happen when bottle feeding, because in this case the muscles will take minimal part in the process.

The development of the jaw system is also affected by poor nutrition of the baby. The lack of food enriched with calcium and fluoride will cause a delay in the eruption of the first teeth. It is important to provide your baby with a diet rich in microelements, including vitamin D. A lack of nutrients in the diet can lead to rickets and disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Below are the most common pathologies that may accompany the appearance of the first milk elements:

retention – the formation of a tooth under the mucous membrane and the impossibility of its eruption,
dystopia – the tooth initially grows in an incorrect position, can protrude strongly forward, move backward or be rotated around its axis,
– the appearance of additional primordia behind the arc of the row, provided that it has already been formed,
hypoplasia - damage to the outer surface of the enamel.

In addition to the anomalies described above, the period of formation of a primary occlusion may be accompanied by complications such as stomatitis - the appearance of aphthous ulcers on the palate and tongue, defective position of the jaws relative to each other, inflammatory processes in soft tissues, and others.

Features of care

By following simple rules in caring for your baby’s baby teeth, you can avoid many troubles:

the first bite should be cleaned with a silicone brush or gauze without using paste and always 2 times a day,
The pastes that you choose for your little one should be without abrasive bleaching substances, it should not contain fluoride, flavors and dyes,
it is extremely important to include in the diet foods rich in calcium and phosphorus, for example, milk, cottage cheese, vegetables containing fiber, exclude sweets and foods with high acidity and dyes,
The child should drink a lot of clean water - this promotes the secretion of saliva, which in turn prevents the development of bacteria. Do not instill in your child a love for carbonated drinks. Sugar contained in them in record large volumes will inevitably lead to...

The condition of teeth is influenced by many factors. It is important for parents to show maximum care and attention to the oral health of their child. If any suspicious spots appear on the enamel, the child should be immediately shown to a specialist.

Video on the topic

Incisors, four on each jaw. Externally, the incisors resemble a chisel; their main purpose corresponds to the name: to bite off food, dividing it into large pieces.
Fangs (two on top, the same number on the bottom), necessary for tearing the product and holding it in the mouth.
Premolars (two on each jaw) that grind food.
Molars, their number is from 8 to 12. The difference is explained simply: molars include “wisdom teeth”, sometimes missing: this is not a pathology, but a variant of the norm.

Milk teeth “live” 6-12 years.

An adult has 28-32 teeth, depending on the presence or absence of third molars.

Anatomy

The chewing unit consists of three parts:

A crown located above the gum.
A root that holds an organ in an alveolus (a kind of depression) that has one or more processes.
The neck is the narrow area that separates the crown from the root.

Read also the article: “Which teeth change in children: diagram, complications, features of the process”

Fabrics

Permanent and baby teeth consist of several tissues:

Dentin is the main part of the chewing unit - hard, covered with cement (root canals) or enamel (crown). Dentin is similar to bone, but differs in a large amount of hydroxyapatite, a mineral that gives increased strength. Tubules pass through the dentin, providing it with nutrients.
Enamel is the hardest tissue of the human body due to the content of inorganic substances. At the same time, it is vulnerable to acid, the destructive effect of which causes caries.
The pulp, popularly called the “nerve,” is the soft tissue that fills the cavity. Vessels and nerve endings pass through it, providing dentin with nutrients. It prevents the penetration of infection into the periodontium during carious processes. The pulp, compressed by swelling, signals severe pain.
The structure of the tooth.

The structure of baby teeth

The number of milk units is 20: 8 molars, the same number of incisors, 4 canines. The central incisors erupt first and the molars last.

The structure of baby teeth differs little from permanent teeth: they consist of the same anatomical parts and tissues. But there are features:

The crowns are low, the distance between them is large: this is how nature intended it to simplify loosening and falling out during shifts.
The roots are long, thin, radiating to the sides, dissolving when replaced with permanent ones.
The thickness of the enamel is no more than 1 mm, half that of adults.
Dentin is softer, the degree of mineralization is lower.
The channels are wider.
The pulp size is larger. Due to the reduced volume of dentin, it is located near the surface.

How do these features affect the development of possible diseases of the mammary units and their care?

Caries easily forms due to the width of the canals and the small thickness of the enamel.
Diseases - caries, pulpitis - are not accompanied by pain, so parents often miss their onset.
The softness and fragility of fabrics require the selection of hygiene products designed specifically for children.

Features of care

Start regular brushing as soon as your first teeth appear. A child is taught to care for himself from the age of 1.5-2 years.
Select special hygiene products - soft brushes, non-abrasive baby toothpastes. Do not use toothpastes that have a whitening effect.
Experts recommend avoiding toothpastes containing fluoride.
Choose products without bright colors or strong aroma to prevent an allergic reaction.
Milk teeth, like permanent teeth, are brushed twice a day.
Organize your meals properly. Mandatory components of the diet are dairy products, vegetables, and herbs.
Sweets are harmful due to the sugar content, which is a source of food for bacteria. Rinsing after meals will help avoid the proliferation of microorganisms.
It is worth consulting with your dentist about modern means of protection. Among parents, silver plating is in demand, the formation of a protective film on the enamel by applying a safe solution of silver nitrate, which prevents the growth of bacteria.
The condition of baby teeth directly affects permanent teeth.

If the situation is neglected, the damage is so severe that the ability to erupt is lost. Regular visits to the dentist will help prevent the development of problems, even in the absence of complaints.

Sources:

Gaivoronsky I.V. Anatomy of human teeth, textbook. Moscow, 2005.
Persin L.S. Pediatric dentistry. Moscow, 2003.

Oral hygiene

Dental hygienic brushing, what is it?

Oral hygiene

What does it mean to mark toothpastes with colored stripes?

Teeth numbering is a generally accepted scheme for the structure of the lower/upper dentition, indicating the serial number of the teeth and their location. During therapeutic or surgical treatment by a dentist, all information regarding the course of therapy and the treatment measures taken is recorded using a standard numbering scheme - this makes the doctor’s work easier and makes it easier to navigate the records of other specialists.

Teeth numbering is very important

Knowing the numbers of baby and molar teeth is necessary not only for dentists, but also for parents of children. If a mother understands the structure of the dentition and is oriented in the serial numbers of various dental groups, it is easier for her to perceive the information that she will have to encounter already in the first year of the baby’s life, when his first milk teeth begin to erupt.

Teething in children

How many baby teeth does a child have?

The first baby teeth appear in children aged 5-8 months. In rare cases, a tooth can erupt at 2-3 months, as well as during the neonatal period. In premature infants, as well as children with metabolic disorders and genetic predisposition, the first teeth may appear around 10-12 months. Late teething can be considered a variant of the norm if the child does not have signs of rickets - a systemic disease in which the transport of calcium and phosphorus to the bone and other tissues of the child’s body is disrupted and these elements are no longer absorbed in the volumes necessary for the healthy functioning and growth of the musculoskeletal system. Rickets in childhood can lead to increased fragility of bones and their destruction (osteoporosis), therefore, if by the age of one year the baby has not developed a single tooth, you should consult a doctor.

Diagram of teeth with numbers for a child

In total, a child should have 20 milk teeth - in the absence of pathologies and metabolic disorders, this occurs before the age of 2.5-3 years. Medicine knows of cases where at one and a half years old children had 18-19 teeth in their mouths. This may also be a variant of the individual norm if pathologies of the development of the maxillofacial skeleton are excluded.

Scheme of baby teeth in a child - upper and lower jaws

Numbering of non-permanent teeth

The first to erupt are usually the central incisors, which have serial number No. 1 (2 each on the lower and upper alveolar process). These teeth erupt quite painfully, so during this period the child may become restless and capricious. The first signs of the imminent appearance of central incisors usually appear 2-4 weeks in advance, so parents have time to prepare and purchase products that will help reduce pain and soothe itchy gums (for example, special teethers, cooling gels and drugs from the group of analgesics intended for topical application ).

Medicines for teething in children

After about a month, the baby's lateral incisors begin to emerge, which are located on the left and right sides of the central teeth. They have serial number No. 2 and appear at the age of 7-9 months. The appearance of lateral incisors before the age of one is considered the norm, but in some children these teeth emerge only by the age of one and a half years. If the child does not have pathologies in the formation of the jaw, there is nothing to worry about.

Temporary and permanent teeth

Pay attention! If the child is already one and a half years old, he should have eight teeth (4 central incisors and 4 lateral incisors). These teeth are necessary for biting food and tearing it into small pieces. After the child has cut through at least 2-3 incisors, he can be given solid food: fresh apples and carrots, crackers, crackers, biscuits and baby cookies.

Fresh apples

What teeth appear after a year?

The third in the scheme of milk teeth are the fangs. These are teeth located on the side of the lateral incisors and completing the frontal (central) dental group. They are several millimeters longer than the central and lateral incisors and have a cone shape.

The child has fangs

The structure of the fangs is more dense and thickened, therefore the main functions of these teeth are:

tearing food;
food retention;
mechanical grinding into pieces.

Despite the fact that the canines have a serial number of 3, they erupt later than the chewing teeth, which close the dentition. In most children, canines appear at the age of 18-20 months, but the situation when triplets appear only by the age of two is also considered normal. Primary fangs fall out at the age of 9-12 years - during this period, the closing part of the upper and lower dentition changes, and the child grows molars and molars.

Upper teeth eruption

Molars (teeth designed for grinding, grinding and chewing food) are the last baby teeth and have serial numbers No. 4 and No. 5. In total, the child has 8 molars - 4 on each jaw. The last of them may appear by 2.5 years, but in most children they appear before the age of two. Their appearance does not cause severe discomfort to the child and passes with a low degree of pain, but some children may complain of moderate pain while chewing solid food and brushing their teeth.

Primary lower molars

Important! Young children's canine teeth erupt at the location of the optic nerves, so about 10% of children may experience pain in the eye sockets and increased eye strain. During this period, parents are advised to limit the time they watch TV and avoid spending long periods in front of a computer monitor, so as not to create additional strain on the eyes.

Table. Scheme of non-permanent teeth with serial numbers.

Child at the dentist

Molars in children: numbering

The number of permanent teeth in children increases by 8 pieces. After a change in the dentition (this happens between the ages of 7 and 12 years), 4 more teeth grow on each jaw, which are called the first and second large molars. These teeth have serial numbers 6 and 7. The teeth that grow in place of the first and second primary molars retain their serial numbers (4 and 5), but change their name: the four and five molars are called small molars (another name is premolars).

Molar growth chart

Fact! For a twelve-year-old teenager, the number of permanent teeth in any row should be 14 (28 teeth in total).

Why not 32?

80% of adults have 32 teeth. This number is considered the physiological norm, since 32 tooth buds are formed in the fetus during intrauterine development. The upper/lower dentition is closed by the third molars, which have a serial number of 8. These teeth are popularly called “wisdom teeth” because they often erupt in adulthood. The norm is the appearance of “eights” in the period from 17 to 35 years, but in some people the third molars may not erupt at all or may not emerge in full (for example, 1-2 teeth out of four).

The most common problem is that wisdom teeth can take quite a long time to grow.

The eruption of these teeth is quite painful and is often accompanied by inflammatory processes. In some cases, a person may need to take potent antibacterial drugs (mainly from the group of semisynthetic penicillins or macrolides). In case of complex interweaving of roots or in other complicated cases, third molars can be removed under general anesthesia.

Problems with the growth of wisdom teeth

The number of teeth a child has depends on his age and characteristics of his residence (nutrition, climate, ecology, social conditions). The physiological factor is also of great importance. Knowing the pattern of appearance of baby and molar teeth in a child will help to better navigate the ongoing processes and notice deviations from existing norms in time, so parents should have this information and know how to use it.

Video - The order of eruption of baby teeth

In order to maintain the beauty and health of a child’s teeth, parents, first of all, need to know their structure, as well as have an idea of how temporary teeth differ from permanent teeth, and what kind of care they require. This will help you avoid many mistakes, saving your baby from unpleasant sensations and negative emotions, and you from unnecessary troubles and worries.

Milk teeth in children: structure, quantity, timing of eruption

Teeth (deciduous and permanent) are bone formations. They are designed to carry out the process of mechanical processing of food, the so-called mastication, in order to prepare it for subsequent digestion.

As for the anatomical structure of baby teeth, it is in many ways similar to the structure of adult teeth, although there are some important differences.

The part of the tooth located above the gum is called the crown. The surfaces of the crowns can be of different shapes depending on which particular tooth we are talking about, but in any case, in baby teeth they are much smaller in size.

The crown is connected to the root through a neck - a slightly narrowed part, around which connective fibers are located in the horizontal plane, forming the so-called circular ligament.

The root itself is located in a small depression called the alveolus. Vessels that supply nutrition to the tooth and nerves pass through a special hole in the apex of the root. Most people are mistaken in believing that baby teeth do not have roots. In fact, those of them that are intended for chewing food (molars) are also molars, only their roots are independently absorbed by the time they are replaced by permanent ones.

What is inside the crown? A photo of the structure of a baby tooth helps you find out:

Any milk tooth, like a permanent one, is covered with enamel.

Only in temporary teeth it is much thinner and softer, and not so mineralized, which is why caries develops rapidly in children and can turn into pulpitis or periodontitis in a few weeks.

Beneath the enamel is dentin, which is also much thinner than in permanent teeth.

This is the highly mineralized underlying tissue surrounding the tooth cavity and root canal. It is slightly inferior in strength to enamel. Dentin in the direction from the center is completely pierced by special tubules, through which impulses are transmitted and all metabolic processes occur.

Dentin, closer to the root system, covers cement, to which the fibers of the ligamentous apparatus - periodontium - are attached.
The internal cavity of the crown and root of the tooth is filled with pulp - very soft internal tissue in which nerves and blood vessels are located.

It plays a major role in providing the tooth with nutrients and carrying out metabolic processes. When the pulp is removed, metabolic processes in the tooth become impossible.

In baby teeth, the volume of the pulp is much larger, and the root tubules are wider than in permanent teeth.

In addition to the structural features of baby teeth, parents are concerned about the timing of their eruption and how many teeth should be normal at a given age of the baby. Let's look at these questions in more detail.

Approximate timing of eruption of primary teeth

When can we expect the baby to have a tooth? As a rule, the child's lower and upper central incisors are cut first. This happens at the age of 6-8 months, but you should not worry if teething is slightly delayed. You should only consult a doctor if your child’s first tooth does not appear even by the age of one year.

The upper and lower lateral incisors appear in babies between 8 and 14 months. After them, the first molars are cut, usually at the age of 12-16 months. At the same time, there remains a free space between them and the incisors, which is filled by the fangs by 16-24 months. The process is completed by the second molars, the eruption of which falls within the period of 20 to 30 months.

Thus, at 2-2.5 years old, a child should normally already have 20 baby teeth:

8 incisors;
4 fangs;
8 molars.

Remember that teething, like the growth and development of the child’s body as a whole, is individual. Don't panic if your baby doesn't have a full set of primary teeth by age 3. However, watch for new ones with special attention.

But if the child has already passed a year, and not a single tooth has appeared yet, it is worth consulting with specialists and finding out the possible reasons for the delay in their eruption.

Whenever a baby's teeth begin to appear, it is necessary to instill oral hygiene skills in him from early childhood. It must begin in the first months of life. To do this, use special silicone brushes placed on the finger or wet wipes, for example, the ASEPTA baby series. When your baby grows up and gives you a few teeth, you can start brushing them with toothpastes designed for children from 0 to 3 years old. A child should be taught to brush their teeth independently after 2 years of age, while monitoring the process and ensuring that it proceeds correctly.

Normally, by the age of two years, a child has 20 teeth. They are called and look like “adult” teeth (incisors, canines, molars), but are temporary and will gradually be replaced by permanent ones.

They play an important role in the formation of the bite, so it doesn’t hurt to know the structural features of baby teeth and how to care for them. This will help to identify possible problems in time and take preventive measures.

Main parts of a baby tooth

Both permanent and baby teeth are formed during the embryonic period. The milk ones are formed first, and by the 4th month of development the permanent ones begin to form.

For some time, all these teeth are even in the same plane, but later a thin bone partition appears that delimits them.

All stages of formation are the same, which means that the structure of the teeth and the composition of their tissue are similar.

Incisors, molars and canines differ in appearance, this is due to their functions. Sharper and thinner incisors are needed to bite, canines to hold, and molars to grind food.

Despite the fact that the tooth is solid, it can be conditionally divided into three parts:

crown - the upper and visible part, consisting mainly of enamel;
neck - slight narrowing at the border of the upper part and the root;
root - a process that holds a tooth in the alveolus.

Primary incisors have an uneven, wavy edge. This is due to the peculiarities of teething; later these irregularities will disappear. There are also convexities on the surface of the molars: two or four tubercles. But this is already a permanent shape of the teeth and it will not change. You should pay attention to the spaces between the tubercles. This is where food debris most often accumulates, which can cause tooth decay.

Brushing your teeth at night is a must for maintaining oral health. This clears the enamel of plaque, which can cause infection.

If brushing your teeth is not possible, you can let your child eat a piece of hard cheese. Thus, the enamel will be cleansed of pathogenic bacteria and the acid balance will be restored.

Features in the structure of milk teeth

The main and most obvious difference is that the first teeth are smaller than the permanent ones.

This is due to the small size of the jaw and the fact that the enamel and dentin of baby teeth contain a minimum of cellular elements (they simply have nothing to grow from).

With the development and enlargement of the jaw, the spaces between the teeth widen; in children 6-7 years old this is already clearly noticeable.

In addition to this main difference, there are the following:

the layer of enamel and dentin is thinner;
the roots are shorter and not so firmly held by the surrounding tissue;
pulp (tissue filling the internal cavity of the tooth) occupies a larger volume;
The enamel contains less minerals, it is “softer” and wears off faster.

Such structural features “help” baby teeth to be replaced by permanent teeth over time. When the permanent tooth germ develops to a certain size, it destroys the bony septum separating the teeth. The pulp of a baby tooth is gradually replaced by tissue rich in blood vessels and osteoclasts - cells that dissolve minerals and destroy collagen. Thus, the roots “dissolve” and the tooth falls out painlessly.

How do these differences in structure affect disease risk?

Thinner enamel is more likely to be damaged by acids.

If the development of infection is not prevented in time, caries will quickly reach the pulp.

Roughly speaking, if in an adult, caries can “eat away” a tooth for years, then in children this process takes months .

You should also take into account the fact that filled baby teeth may not fall out on their own. If the pulp cannot perform its functions, root resorption will not occur. While the permanent tooth will still continue to grow. In the worst case, it can grow crookedly and negatively affect the growth of neighboring ones. To avoid this, the baby tooth will have to be removed by a doctor.

If you take care of your children's teeth and undergo periodic examinations by the dentist, the problem can be noticed in time and complications can be avoided.

Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the body and contains no organic matter. It is also the only tissue that does not have the ability to regenerate.

Nuances of caring for baby teeth

Many people believe that since teeth are temporary, there is no need to take special care of them.

On the one hand, this is not without reason; nevertheless, in most cases, caries simply does not have time to significantly destroy the tooth.

In addition, if a child is not fond of sweets and monitors oral hygiene, the risk of developing an infection is low.

However, it is undoubtedly necessary to take care of children's teeth, if only to instill in the child the skill of brushing their teeth every day. In addition, modern children's toothpastes have a balanced composition and promote the mineralization of enamel. However, in addition to cleansing, the child’s diet also plays an important role.

To keep your teeth healthy longer, you need to:

Drink a lot. Dry mouth is very bad because... Saliva both cleans teeth and contains substances that inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Replace juices and sweet drinks with water. It’s better not to introduce the child to them at all, because... they do more harm than good. In addition to sugar, which contributes to the development of caries, such drinks contain acids that dissolve the already thin enamel of baby teeth.
Take vitamin D. This element plays an important role in the process of mineralization of tooth enamel. Modern research has proven that very few people receive the required daily dose of this element. Therefore, vitamin D should be taken by both adults and children.
Introduce foods rich in minerals and trace elements into your diet. Balancing and diversifying a children's menu is much easier and more effective than taking vitamin complexes. The diet should contain vegetables, fish, bran products, and fermented milk products.

Another important factor influencing dental health is genetic predisposition. Unfortunately, if parents have had dental problems since childhood, there is a high probability that the child will also encounter this phenomenon. Knowing about this predisposition, you need to regularly show your child to the dentist.

It is necessary to ensure that the child’s diet includes solid foods (carrots, nuts). Regular load on the teeth activates blood supply to the gums, which, in turn, improves dental tissue.

How to treat baby teeth, taking into account their characteristics

Every parent who has faced the need to find a good pediatric dentist knows what a difficult task it is. This is due to the fact that treating children's teeth has certain difficulties. And first of all, these are not even anatomical features, but a banal childhood fear. Not every child will simply allow their mouth to be examined, much less manipulate scary dental instruments there.

Treatment is also complicated by the following factors:

inability to use certain types of medications and anesthesia due to age;
disobedience of children, refusal to comply with simple demands of the doctor (sit with your mouth open, spit saliva);
close location of the pulp, and therefore the nerve and blood vessels;
inability of children to remain calm and still for a long time;
features in the structure of enamel and dentin (looseness, softness), due to which most fillings simply fall out after a certain time.

However, many modern dental clinics offer comprehensive solutions in the treatment of childhood caries. This includes the work of a psychologist with the baby and the use of new filling materials.

The use of “scary” tools is reduced to a minimum, for example, the infamous drill is replaced with an air abrasive apparatus. If you prepare your child correctly, it is likely that going to the dentist will be an interesting adventure for him.

Anatomical features of the structure and development of primary teeth in children

Children's dentistry "Jewelry Work" successfully treats caries, pulp periodontitis and other diseases of children's teeth. In order for you to understand the causes of tooth decay, our dentists have prepared this material, which talks in detail about the structure of milk teeth, their characteristics, and the period of replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones. After reading the article, you will know useful information that will allow your child to save his teeth on time.

Milk bite

The primary bite consists of two dozen teeth, where there are incisors, canines, first molars, second molars, but no premolars. The color of the first eruption of teeth resembles milk cream in its shade. In terms of the shape of the crowns, baby teeth are similar to permanent teeth, but it should be borne in mind that the size of baby teeth is significantly smaller, the layer of hard tissue is thinner, so the dental cavity is somewhat larger.

During the critical period of root formation and resorption, the apical openings and root canals are quite wide, the border between the crown and the root of the tooth is clearly visible.

It should be emphasized that primary teeth have their own unique personal characteristics.

Deciduous incisors

The incisors of baby teeth are much more prominent than those of permanent teeth. The palate has no furrows. The distal angle of the maxillary lateral incisor has a greater rounding than the central incisor. Near the neck on the lateral incisor, the enamel ridge has less expressiveness, in contrast to the incisor located in the center. The tips of the incisors in the center of the maxilla may be curved toward the lips, and the roots of the upper central incisors may be flared. The incisors of the lower jaw are characterized by smaller sizes; the lower incisors are supported on flat roots with grooves on the lateral and medial sides.

Milk fangs

The crown of the upper primary canine is often shorter when compared with the size of the crown of a permanent tooth, and is characterized by a convex surface. The cutting edge of the primary fang has distinct tubercles, and the root of the fang has a rounded shape.

First primary molars

The crown of the first molar of the maxilla is stretched in the mesial-distal direction, the chewing surface has two cusps. The palatal surface is convex, the buccal surface of the tooth has a kind of ribbing, outlined by a pair of grooves.

The first primary molar is held in the upper jaw by three diverging roots with wide apical foramina. The crown of the lower first primary molar is oriented in the anteroposterior direction. Particularly worth mentioning are the strongly pronounced four cusps of the chewing surface and the developed enamel ridge. The lower first molar has two roots, widely diverging, the distal root is smaller and narrower than the mesial one. The buccal surface is also divided into distal and medial regions.

Second primary molars

The second upper primary molars are distinguished by a slightly beveled crown shape. The posterior buccal root is fused with the palatine root. In the area between the anterior lingual and posterior buccal tubercles there is an enamel fold.

The second primary molars of the lower jaw are similar in structure to the first permanent molars of the lower jaw (the only difference lies in the width of the divergence to the sides), they have 5 cusps, the most pronounced of which is the anterior buccal.

Resorption of the roots of baby teeth

Baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth around the age of five. At the same time, two independent processes occur in the child’s jaws: the rudiments of permanent teeth begin to gradually grow, and the roots of baby teeth also gradually dissolve, giving way to a new dentition. The root to which the permanent tooth germ is closest is resorbed the fastest.

The rudiments of permanent teeth included in the anterior group are located at the lingual surface of the root of temporary teeth. The rudiments of the premolars are located between the roots of the primary molars. The rudiment of the lower premolar is located closer to the posterior root, and the upper one is much closer to the posterior root. As a result, resorption of the roots of single-rooted primary teeth occurs from the lingual surface of the root, and then surrounds the root.

Resorption of the roots of primary molars occurs starting from the inner surface of the roots. At the moment of root resorption, granulation tissue is replaced by the pulp of baby teeth, resorption is completed by the time the permanent tooth erupts.

As noted above, the eruption of permanent teeth and the resorption of the roots of primary teeth normally occur synchronously, although in practice the dentist may observe a significant change in the rate of resorption. Accelerated resorption, for example, is typical for baby teeth with dead pulp, teeth with inflammation, swelling, etc. If the rudiments of permanent teeth are absent for some reason, resorption slows down significantly.

Dentists take into account the nature of resorption of the roots of baby teeth, eliminating the consequences of periodontitis, pulpitis, during surgical and orthodontic interventions. It is important to know that teeth with resorbed roots are treated in a special order, including all stages, from treatment to installation of a filling.

When do permanent teeth emerge?

In healthy, well-developed children, permanent teeth appear as old baby teeth fall out. Most often, after a baby tooth falls out, the cutting edge or cusps of a permanent tooth erupt. Normally, slightly fewer permanent teeth appear than old baby teeth fall out.

Permanent teeth begin to emerge at age six, with the first permanent tooth being a molar. If you take an x-ray at the age of six, the picture will show 3 rows of teeth, of which the first row will be reflected in an arc of milk teeth, the rudiments of permanent teeth will be in the second row, and the third row will be occupied by fangs.

Already in adolescence, the child no longer has milk teeth. The dentition of adolescents contains only permanent teeth at different times of eruption. Therefore, the pediatric dentist must remember the main stages of development of permanent teeth, which is important for the correct diagnosis and methodology for treating caries.

During differential diagnosis, the hydontal fissure is noticeable only along the lateral walls of the root, not being detected in the apex area. Throughout the entire length of the root, a compact wall plate is well defined. This phase is typical at the age of six for the lower central incisors, at the age of eight for the central and lateral incisors of the upper jaw, at the age of 7-8 for the lower lateral incisors, at the age of 8 for the first lower molars.

The walls of the tooth root are already built in stage 2, but in the area of the root apex they are not close enough, which is indicated by the apical foramen, clearly visible on x-rays. The periodontal fissure is well defined.

The final formation of the roots of permanent teeth occurs in adolescents aged 10 to 15 years. An accurate answer about the formation of tooth roots is provided by X-ray photographs, on which the boundaries of the periodontium are clearly delineated and, at the same time, there is no apical foramen. Teeth and jaws reach their highest development at approximately 18 years of age. However, the dentist should take into account that the permanent teeth of children and adults have a number of certain biological and anatomical differences. In children's permanent teeth there is less hard tissue, but more pulp, so children's teeth are much less resistant to irritation and to any mechanical influences: impacts, chips, etc.

It is very important for teenagers to take care of their baby teeth by periodically carrying out caries treatment and other preventive measures. Adults should explain the essence of dental care and the causes of dental caries.

Milk teeth are the first teeth in children that will eventually be replaced by permanent ones. They erupt from 6 months, all emerge by 3 years. Replacement with permanent ones occurs at the age of 6-14 years, each child has a different time frame.

Expert opinion

Biryukov Andrey Anatolievich

doctor implantologist orthopedic surgeon Graduated from Crimean Medical University. Institute in 1991. Specialization in therapeutic, surgical and orthopedic dentistry including implantology and implant prosthetics.

Ask a question to an expert

I believe that you can still save a lot on visits to the dentist. Of course I'm talking about dental care. After all, if you carefully look after them, then treatment may indeed not come to the point - it won’t be necessary. Microcracks and small caries on teeth can be removed with regular toothpaste. How? The so-called filling paste. For myself, I highlight Denta Seal. Try it too.

Hippocrates was the first to talk about baby teeth. He believed that they are formed due to nutrition with mother's milk. Doctors confirm the opinion of the famous progenitor of medicine, milk contains calcium, which is responsible for the growth of teeth, because the first teeth are not strong, their health depends on the baby’s nutrition.

Structure of baby tooth

A tooth is a bone consisting of hard and soft tissues. These are dentin, enamel, cement, pulp. Anatomically, the structure of primary and permanent teeth is similar:

root (in jaw);
crown (protrudes above the gum);
neck (connects the two parts above).

The crown is protected by enamel, under which there is soft porous dentin. There are ridges and depressions on the chewing teeth. Inside is a space containing the pulp (nerve). This bundle of nerves and blood vessels is responsible for feeding the dental tissues.

Each tooth has a different shape, structure, and functionality - they bite off food with their incisors, tear them off with their fangs, hold them, and grind them into mush with their molars and premolars.

How baby teeth change

After the child’s baby teeth have finished erupting, the parents calm down, but this is not the end of the suffering - they will be systematically replaced by permanent ones. There is a certain replacement scheme, thanks to which the bite becomes correct. At the age of 6-7 years, the incisors are the first to change, followed by the canines and premolars. The last line is for the molars. Complete replacement is completed by adulthood, with the exception of wisdom teeth - they may appear later.

The sensations during the eruption of milk and permanent teeth are different; during replacement there are no sleep disturbances, vomiting, or loss of appetite. There is itching of the gums and a slight increase in temperature.

The process of replacing teeth is simple and straightforward - permanent teeth are pressed on from below, the roots dissolve, they fall out, making room for new ones. Considering that milk crowns fall out without roots, ordinary people believe that they did not exist, this is incorrect.

By about age 13, children have approximately 24 teeth in their mouths—6 on each side of the jaw. Of these 6: canine, 2 incisors (central, lateral), molar, 2 premolars. Then 2 more molars appear, the last of which is called the “wisdom” tooth.

Given that they are considered a vestigial form, it is not surprising that some people fail to erupt.

Teething schedule

Children's first teeth appear around 6 months. The process is preceded by the appearance of a mound on the gum, and pain is possible. As pressure is applied to the mucous membrane, the gums break through and the crown appears. When the entire crown appears above the gum, the process is complete. To ease the baby’s suffering if he experiences discomfort, touches his gums with his fingers, cries, sleeps poorly, pharmaceutical products will help - sprays, gels with an anesthetic, cooling effect.

There are also teething rings made of safe plastic. Thanks to them, the process speeds up and the child suffers less.

Each organism develops according to an individual schedule; there is no exact time frame, only approximate boundaries:

6-8 months – lower, upper central incisors;
8-14 months – lateral incisors, 2 above, below;
12-16 months – first molars;
16-24 months – fangs;
after 20 months - second molars.

Do you feel nervous before visiting the dentist?

YesNo

A two-year-old child should have 20 teeth - 8 incisors and molars, 4 canines. Parents need to monitor how the process is happening, whether the tilt and direction are correct. By the age of 3, children have all the teeth needed for active chewing and biting of food.

Differences between baby teeth and molars

Baby teeth are short-lived. Their roots dissolve after about 2-3 years from the moment of eruption. There is a misconception that dairy products do not have a root or a nerve. This is wrong. Thanks to the roots, they are held in the jaw, and only the eruption of the permanent one stimulates the resorption of the roots of the milk that interferes with it. The nerve may hurt when a child has tooth decay.

The main differences between dairy products:

smaller in size, including roots;
the structure of the root canals is more complex, which makes treatment difficult;
dentin is less mineralized, poorly resistant to abrasion and caries;
the enamel color is shiny, the shade is blue;
the crowns are lower, wider, and the incisors have serrations.

Features of care

Brush your teeth from the moment they erupt in the morning and evening. By the age of 2 years, the baby can carry out the procedure independently.
Choose the right brush bristles and toothpaste. Avoid the use of abrasive, bleaching agents, as well as those that have a bright color or aroma - they can cause allergies.
Enrich your diet with vegetables, dairy products, and herbs.
Reduce the consumption of sugar and sweets - this provokes the growth of bacteria. Rinsing your mouth after eating can reduce their activity.

Dentists can apply a silver nitrate solution to the enamel of children's teeth. The substance creates a film that protects against bacteria and caries. The condition of the permanent teeth depends on how healthy the baby teeth are. Despite the fact that the first ones fall out quickly, their treatment cannot be neglected.

It is important to provide proper care so that they do not fall out prematurely, but contribute to the formation of a correct bite, on which not only diction, but the health of the organs depends. By regularly visiting the dentist, you can notice and eliminate problems in time.

Diseases of baby teeth

Dental problems in children - caries and pulpitis. Due to the weak mineralization of the enamel, it is vulnerable to microbes; the development of caries is possible as early as 2-3 years, or even earlier. There is a difference between caries in an adult and a child, although the disease is the same. In a baby, all processes occur rapidly, including pathological ones. If we take into account the thin and sensitive enamel, it becomes clear that caries actively destroys the child’s teeth.

The treatment is difficult, since it is difficult to persuade children to sit quietly in the dentist's chair for a long time. However, a good doctor will find a way to calm the baby and carry out treatment or restoration of temporary teeth. Composite materials are safe, aesthetically pleasing, and last a long time.

The methods used for children are gentle and safe; patients are provided with maximum comfort during treatment. The doctor will remove tissue affected by caries, treat and fill the cavity. Usually the filling lasts for quite a long time - until the permanent tooth comes out.

When parents do not monitor the baby’s health, rapidly developing caries leads to pulpitis. It is necessary to treat inflammation, otherwise the temporary tooth will fall out prematurely. First, local anesthesia is performed and a devitalizing agent is applied to eliminate the nerve.

Modern drugs are produced without arsenic. After the manipulations, a temporary filling is applied. After 1-2 weeks, the doctor will remove the filling, clean the damaged pulp, and prevent further spread of the inflammatory process.

This tactic allows you to reduce the risk of complications, and the process of root resorption and the formation of permanent teeth continues without the threat of dentin damage.

There is a common misconception that treating baby teeth is a waste of time and nerves, since they will fall out anyway. This is the wrong tactic, because without treatment, a decaying tooth poses a threat - it is a source of infection in the oral cavity, which is why harmful microorganisms actively multiply, causing damage to other teeth, as well as other diseases of the throat, gastrointestinal tract, etc.

To prevent caries, pulpitis, and other dental problems, parents should remember about prevention. The main points are regular oral care with suitable hygiene products, proper nutrition, and timely visits to the dentist. The rest of the recommendations will be given by the pediatric dentist, taking into account the patient’s health status and development.

Knowing the numbers of baby and molar teeth is necessary not only for dentists, but also for parents of children. If a mother understands the structure of the dentition and is oriented in the serial numbers of various dental groups, it is easier for her to perceive the information that she will have to deal with already in the first year of the baby’s life, when he begins to develop problems.

How many baby teeth does a child have?

Diagram of baby teeth in a child - upper and lower jaws

Numbering of non-permanent teeth

The first to erupt are usually the central incisors, which have serial number No. 1 (2 each on the lower and upper alveolar process). These teeth erupt quite painfully, so during this period the child may become restless and capricious. The first signs of the imminent appearance of central incisors usually appear 2-4 weeks in advance, so parents have time to prepare and purchase (for example, special teethers, cooling gels and analgesic drugs intended for topical application).

Pay attention! If the child is already one and a half years old, he should have eight teeth (4 central incisors and 4 lateral incisors). These teeth are necessary for biting food and tearing it into small pieces. After the child has cut through at least 2-3 incisors, he can be given solid food: fresh apples and carrots, crackers, crackers, biscuits and baby cookies.

What teeth appear after a year?

The structure of the fangs is more dense and thickened, therefore the main functions of these teeth are:

tearing food;
food retention;
mechanical grinding into pieces.

Important! Young children's canine teeth erupt at the location of the optic nerves, so about 10% of children may experience pain in the eye sockets and increased eye strain. During this period, parents are advised to limit the time they watch TV and avoid spending long periods in front of a computer monitor, so as not to create additional strain on the eyes.
Table. Scheme of non-permanent teeth with serial numbers.

Serial number Name Age of eruption At what age do they change

1 Front cutter (4 pieces) 6-10 months 6-8 years

2 Lateral cutter (4 pieces) 7-10 months 7-9 years

3 Fangs (4 pieces) 1.5-2 years 9-12 years

4 First molar (4 pieces) 1-1.5 years 9-11 years

5 Second molar (4 pieces) 1.5-2.5 years 10-12 years

Molars in children: numbering

The number of permanent teeth in children increases by 8 pieces. After a change in the dentition (this happens between the ages of 7 and 12 years), 4 more teeth grow on each jaw, which are called the first and second large molars. These teeth have serial numbers 6 and 7. The teeth that grow in place of the first and second primary molars retain their serial numbers (4 and 5), but change their name: the four and five molars are called small molars (another name is premolars).

Fact! For a twelve-year-old teenager, the number of permanent teeth in any row should be 14 (28 teeth in total).

Why not 32?

80% of adults have 32 teeth. This number is considered the physiological norm, since 32 tooth buds are formed in the fetus during intrauterine development. The upper/lower dentition is closed by the third molars, which have a serial number of 8. These teeth are popularly called “wisdom teeth” because they often erupt in adulthood. The norm is the appearance of “eights” in the period from 17 to 35 years, but in some people the third molars may not erupt at all or may not emerge in full (for example, 1-2 teeth out of four).

The eruption of these teeth is quite painful and is often accompanied by inflammatory processes. In some cases, a person may need to take potent antibacterial drugs (mainly from the group of semisynthetic penicillins or macrolides). In case of complex interweaving of roots or in other complicated cases, third molars can be removed under general anesthesia.

The number of teeth a child has depends on his age and characteristics of his residence (nutrition, climate, ecology, social conditions). The physiological factor is also of great importance. Knowing the pattern of appearance of baby and molar teeth in a child will help to better navigate the ongoing processes and notice deviations from existing norms in time, so parents should have this information and know how to use it.

Video - The order of eruption of baby teeth