How many baby and permanent teeth does a person normally get?
The deciduous dentition (baby teeth) is comprised of 20 teeth all of which should be erupted around the age of 3 years old. The permanent dentition numbers 32 teeth which includes 4 wisdom teeth. What about tooth coloration? Generally the deciduous dentition is milk white, and therefore often much lighter in shade than the permanent dentition. As people age, it is often observed that the permanent teeth become darker and more brittle. Stains, both internal and on the surface, along with decay, restorations, nonvital (dead) nerves, etc. can alter the natural shading of teeth {when the nerve of a tooth dies it becomes very dark). This shading is transmitted through the dentin and enamel layers, giving the tooth a characteristic dark appearance. Will the positioning of the baby teeth give you a clue as to the development of the permanent dentition, and in particular a possible developing malocclusion? It is usually much better if the baby teeth have spaces between them which will allow ad
