Milk teeth

Eva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.

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The baby teeth (Dentes decidui) are the child's first set of teeth. In the course of development, they fail and are replaced by a permanent set of 32 teeth. Read everything more on the topic: How many teeth do deciduous teeth have? How do the first children's teeth develop? When does the change to permanent dentition take place? What problems can the first teeth cause?

What are milk teeth?

They are the child's first teeth. Their development begins as early as the sixth to eighth week of pregnancy, when arched tooth strips form in the still underdeveloped jaw of the embryo. From these tooth strips, ten tooth systems each emerge in the upper and lower jaw (corresponding to the normal number of milk teeth).

In the course of the embryonic development of the tooth enamel and dentin - the substance that hardens the tooth - then form in these tooth systems. The connective tissue around the teeth condenses to form a tooth sac, which later becomes the hanging apparatus for each tooth in the area of ​​the tooth root.

When the tooth has reached a certain size (between the sixth month of life and the end of the second year of life), it breaks through the tooth sac and the gums. However, the formation of the tooth root is not yet fully completed at this point in time.

How many milk teeth are created?

The number of milk teeth is twenty. The first pearly whites have the same shape as the later permanent teeth, but are significantly smaller. In addition, the enamel of the deciduous dentition is not as strong as that of the permanent teeth.

Where does the name "milk teeth" come from?

The name milk teeth comes from the light, slightly bluish color of the milk teeth, which is reminiscent of the color of milk. In contrast, the teeth of the permanent set of teeth are slightly yellow in color.

On the other hand, in the “milk tooth age”, nutrition usually consists of breast milk. That too probably contributed to the naming.

Change to permanent dentition

The loss of the first teeth and the moving up of the permanent teeth begin around the age of six. The back molars are the first to emerge. This thrust loosens the teeth until they eventually fall out.

After the molars, it is the turn of the central incisors and then the side incisors. Thereafter, milk teeth and permanent teeth stand together in the mouth for a while, with the first teeth serving as placeholders for further tooth eruption. They should now be well cared for and maintained.

From around the age of nine, the teeth change again. Usually the second small molar tooth, then the canine and the first small molar tooth appear. However, this order can also vary from person to person.

What is the function of milk teeth?

Healthy milk teeth are primarily used to chop solid food. They are also important for language development and clear pronunciation.

Last but not least, the child's further jaw and face development is related to the first teeth. These also have an important placeholder function for the teeth of the subsequent permanent set of teeth: as the child grows, the jaw grows too, and the teeth then move further and further apart. This creates gaps. With the change of teeth, the larger permanent teeth slide into the gaps of the deciduous teeth that have fallen out and into the gaps created by the growth of the jaw - a complete set of teeth is created again.

Where are milk teeth located?

There are ten milk teeth each in the upper and lower jaws of the children's dentition: on each side of the dentition, a central and a lateral incisor, a canine and two molars.

What problems can baby teeth affect?

If permanent teeth are not created or displaced, they can remain in the dentition as so-called "permanent" milk teeth (Dentes decidui persistentes).

The first teeth can erupt before the age of six months or significantly later.

Tooth decay can also develop in deciduous teeth if the teeth are not brushed sufficiently. Since the deciduous teeth have an important placeholder function for the subsequent permanent teeth, it is important to treat even the smallest defects.

Tooth dysplasia is a malformed part of the teeth (crown and / or root, tooth enamel, cement). The cause can, for example, be a stunted growth.

When a tooth germ (a not yet fully developed and erupted milk tooth) becomes infected, it is expelled.

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