What are the differences in the anatomy of baby teeth vs. permanent teeth?
Deciduous teeth, otherwise known as reborner teeth, baby teeth, temporary teeth and primary teeth, are the first set of teeth in the growth development of humans. In the deciduous dentition there are a total of twenty teeth: five per quadrant and ten per arch. The eruption of these teeth ("teething") begins at the age of six months and continues until twenty-five to thirty-three months of age. Usually, the first teeth seen in the mouth are the mandibular centrals and the last are the maxillary second molars.
he deciduous dentition is made up of central incisors, lateral icisors, canines, first molars, and secondary molars; there is one in each quadrant, making a total of four of each tooth. All of these are gradually replaced with a permanent counterpart except for the first and second molars; they are replaced by Premolars. The replacement of deciduous teeth begins around age six. At that time, the permanent teeth start to appear in the mouth, resulting in mixed dentition. The erupting permanent teeth causes root resorption, where the permanent teeth push down on the roots of the deciduous teeth, causing the roots to be dissolved and become absorbed by the forming permanent teeth. The process of shedding deciduous teeth and the replacement by permanent teeth is called exfoliation. This may last from age six to age twelve. By age twelve there usually are only permanent teeth remaining.
An eight-year old’s deciduous teeth.
Teething age of deciduous teeth:
- Central incisors : 6–12 months
- Lateral incisors : 9–16 months
- Canine teeth : 16–23 months
- First molars : 13–19 months
- Second molars : 22–33 months
Deciduous teeth are considered essential in the development of the oral cavity by dental researchers and dentists. The permanent teeth replacements develop from the same tooth bud as the deciduous teeth; this provides a guide for permanent teeth eruption. Also the muscles of the jaw and the formation of the jaw bones depend on the primary teeth in order to maintain the proper space for permanent teeth. The roots of deciduous teeth provide an opening for the permanent teeth to erupt. These teeth are also needed for proper development of a child’s speech and chewing of food of food.
Adult teeth or permanent teeth replace the primary teeth. They aid in digestion, speech and general appearance. There are 32 permanent teeth, with the main difference from primary teeth is that there are 4 premolars and 6 molars in each arch. Permanent teeth begin erupting at 6yrs of age and end at 21yrs of age. Some people may not have some if not all their 3rd molars due to evolutionary changes leading to the lack of development of these teeth. 3rd molars may not erupt due to becoming embedded in jaw. The tooth consists of a crown and root, and the tooth is composed of different materials that aid in strengthening, preserving and maintaining its function.
source: Pediatrics books and wikipedia
