10 interesting facts about children's teeth

Milk teeth are bone formations that are designed for mechanical processing of food in order to prepare it for subsequent digestion. They also influence diction and make the child’s speech correct and clear. In terms of their anatomical structure, they are in many ways similar to permanent ones, but they all have some differences. Among them:

the coronal part is smaller;
the thickness of enamel and dentin is less (from 0.6 to 1 mm);
reduced degree of mineralization;
no immune zones;
the pulp volume is large;
dental canals are shorter;
poorly developed tubercles in the closure zone.

As for the number of root canals, their number remains unchanged.

The roots of baby teeth are slightly inclined. This is explained by the fact that the rudiments of permanent units are located above them.

It is a mistake to believe that children's teeth do not have roots. But this is what many adults think when they look at their children’s fallen teeth. In fact, by the time of prolapse, the formations located in the alveoli are almost completely resolved.

Home methods for removing baby teeth are not always safe

The most common way to forcibly pull out loose baby teeth at home is with a thread tied to the tooth and wound around the door handle. Some “lucky” readers probably went through this procedure in childhood and remember how unpleasant it was. Home methods for pulling teeth are not always safe. Such removal can provoke the development of infection or inflammation of the socket of the extracted tooth, which requires serious treatment. Find out what to do if the hole becomes rotten after tooth extraction.

Using improvised means, you can remove a baby tooth at home only if it is literally “hanging by a thread.” But in order not to cause psychological trauma to the child, this procedure must be made into a game.

Possible treatment options

The method of preserving a damaged baby tooth depends on the degree of damage. Sometimes the dentist suggests taking an x-ray to diagnose damage to adjacent crowns, tooth dislocation and assess the condition of surrounding tissues. Before restoring a tooth, the dentist performs hygienic treatment of the oral cavity.

Treatment methods for a chipped baby tooth

Enamel chipped - polishing the sharp edges of the crown.
A baby tooth has broken off within the dentin - building it up with photocomposite material or covering the chip with a crown fragment.
Fracture exposing the dental nerve - reconstruction using a tooth fragment.
Mobility, displacement of teeth - applying a splint to the damaged tooth and two adjacent crowns (one on the right and on the left) under local anesthesia.
A child has a cracked baby tooth in the root zone - sealing the damage and strengthening the crown with an onlay.

Thanks to the precise selection of the color of the composite material, the restored baby tooth does not differ from healthy crowns. The child will not experience psychological discomfort, but the teeth must be treated with care to avoid repeated chipping.

Little Mouse VS Tooth Fairy

Loss of baby teeth in children is associated with rituals in different countries. In Russia, back in ancient times (since the 18th century), there was a belief that a lost tooth should be put in the hole of a mouse and in return ask it for a permanent one, which will be healthy and durable.

In the West, instead of a mouse, the Tooth Fairy is popular, which exchanges a baby tooth placed under the pillow for money. This is precisely the reason why children in Russia nowadays prefer to “cooperate” with her.

Gum inflammation

The most common inflammatory gum diseases in children are stomatitis and gingivitis. Stomatitis, or, as it is usually called, thrush, is an infectious inflammatory process provoked by fungi of the genus Candida. Treatment is antifungal and anti-inflammatory therapy, always carried out under the supervision and recommendations of a dentist. Self-medication can be dangerous, as some children may have allergic reactions to certain medications or antiseptics.

Gingivitis most often occurs due to plaque on baby teeth and insufficient general hygiene, but the reasons for their development can also be trauma to the gums during teething or other injuries, untreated caries. With this problem, you also need to contact a doctor, who will select the optimal treatment regimen and prevent gingivitis from developing into childhood periodontitis.

In the future, people will not have wisdom teeth

It is now recognized that wisdom teeth are vestigial. This is the most problematic group of teeth, with many painful moments associated with it. When they erupt, a person may experience severe pain, inflammation, fever, and when all wisdom teeth appear, crowding of the dentition may begin. At the same time, they play almost no role in the process of experiencing food. Evolutionary changes lead to the fact that in modern times, wisdom teeth are increasingly not erupting in adults. It can be assumed that in the future they will disappear altogether.

Treat caries or remove a tooth?

Here, the recommendations of pediatric dentists agree: teeth need to be treated, although this is often associated with inconvenience. True, it is now much easier to persuade a child to calmly undergo treatment than it was before, when quality dentistry was unavailable. In a modern clinic, a calm and friendly atmosphere is important in a pediatric dentist's office. The doctor will first show the instruments, explain what he will do, and establish contact with the child. And drugs for pain relief will help carry out the treatment so that there are no negative impressions left from it.

Dental treatment is not scary! Especially if it doesn't hurt

It is best to treat tooth decay in its early stages. Then you can do without drilling at all - it will be enough to clean the surface of the tooth and apply a remineralizing composition. Small areas of caries can also be treated using a special device that uses a laser beam.

But even if a large carious cavity has already formed in the tooth, it is still recommended to install a filling. In some cases, crowns are even placed to save the tooth, which will last until the tooth falls out naturally. All this is justified in order to preserve the functionality of the tooth, which is extremely important for the formation of a correct permanent bite in a child.

Crowns can be installed to save teeth

How to properly prepare a child for tooth extraction in pediatric dentistry?

A brave child is one who is familiar with the place and situation, so parents need to try to ensure that the first visit to the dental clinic is not associated with treatment, much less tooth extraction and pain. Go with your child to the dental clinic for preventive examinations, children's parties, which we regularly hold, take your child with you when you go to have your teeth treated.
A good, cozy clinic is not a dream today, but an accessible reality. Go to the clinic yourself without your child, meet the doctor. The atmosphere should be calm, the space should be thought out for small patients. And, of course, no screaming or crying behind office doors.
Never frighten your child with the dentist or doctors in general, and do not be afraid of them yourself - children subtly sense the mood of their parents.
Ask your doctor whether it is better to leave your child alone or be present during the procedure. NEVER leave your child alone at the dentist's office if this is their first appointment with the dentist.
Do not shame your child in the dentist's chair, do not blackmail him with a gift or threaten him with punishment. Introduce him to the doctor and help establish contact between them, using the child’s natural curiosity - he should be interested, not scared.

Why can a 7-14 year old child sometimes experience pain when all his teeth are intact?

Yes, this can happen, but in this case the pain occurs not in the tooth itself, but in the jaw, which is growing rapidly at this age. Since permanent teeth are almost twice as large as baby teeth, they need much more space. Therefore, large new teeth can sometimes overlap each other or grow at an angle, getting out of the dentition. As the jaw grows, they align and settle into place. But a qualified specialist can competently assess this situation, as well as the risk of anomalies and developmental defects. That is why in this case you will need to consult an orthodontist.

Anatomical differences between primary and permanent teeth

As we said above, temporary teeth differ from permanent teeth in a smaller number, as well as in significantly smaller sizes (they are 2 times smaller than permanent teeth).
At the same time, the shape of the crowns of primary teeth is always more spherical, and in the area of the neck of the primary tooth there will always be a noticeably more pronounced narrowing. In addition, temporary teeth are whiter than permanent teeth and often have a bluish tint. Differences between temporary and permanent teeth (description below) –

Anatomical differences:

Tooth enamel – the enamel of temporary teeth is much less mineralized (saturated with minerals, primarily calcium and phosphates). Therefore, with insufficient oral hygiene, children develop caries almost instantly. In addition, the thickness of the enamel of temporary teeth is approximately 2 times less than that of permanent teeth - this circumstance leads to a very rapid transition of caries to pulpitis. There are also many microcracks and pores on the surface of the enamel of temporary teeth.
Dentin of the tooth - the dentin layer is located under the layer of tooth enamel, and its thickness is also 2 times less (than that of permanent teeth). The dentin of temporary teeth is lighter, it is less mineralized, softer, and therefore it is much easier to prepare with a drill than the dentin of permanent teeth. Due to the fact that dentin is less mineralized and softer, the carious process in dentin spreads deeper faster, which leads to the rapid development of pulpitis in baby teeth.
Pulp (neurovascular bundle) - some parents ask: “Are there nerves in baby teeth?” Of course, they exist, but due to the thinner layers of enamel and dentin, the pulp in baby teeth is located much closer to the surface of the tooth. The pulp chamber (tooth cavity), in which the pulp is located, is always larger in primary teeth, and therefore the pulp occupies a relatively large volume in the tooth. And besides, in baby teeth the “pulp horns” (processes) are more pronounced, which creates an additional danger of injury to the pulp during the treatment of caries.
Roots of teeth – some parents ask: “Do baby teeth have roots?” Of course, they have roots, but they are thinner and widely spaced (at the same time, the root canals and apical openings in baby teeth are wider than in permanent teeth). But the development and growth of the rudiments of permanent teeth leads to the formation of constant pressure on the roots of primary teeth, which leads to their gradual resorption and loss. We hope that our article: Scheme of loss of baby teeth in children was useful to you!

Sources:

1. Dental education of the author of the article, 2. Based on personal experience as a dentist, 3. The European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EU), 4. National Library of Medicine (USA), 5. “Pediatric therapeutic dentistry. National leadership" (Leontyev).

At what age should a bite be corrected?

You can start correcting your bite at 4-5 years of age. In this case, the growth of permanent teeth will be even, in the place intended by nature. Therefore, there is no need to carry out subsequent long-term bite correction. In any case, if there is a malocclusion, the problem can be eliminated efficiently and as quickly as possible by contacting a qualified orthodontist as early as possible.

Teeth	Dairy (temporary)		Permanent
Jaw	Lower	Upper	Lower	Upper
Central incisors	6-12 months	8-12 months	6-7 years	6-8 years
Lateral incisors	10-16 months	9-13 months	7-8 years	7-8 years
Fangs	17-23 months	16-22 months	9-10 years	11-12 years old
First Premolars	—	—	10-12 years	10-11 years
Second Premolars	—	—	11-12 years old	10-12 years
First Molars	14-18 months	13-19 months	6-7 years	6-7 years
Second Molars	23-33 months	25-33 months	11-12 years old	11-13 years old

Anatomy of different types of temporary teeth

Incisors.

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.

Fangs.

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.

Molars.

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.