One of the most difficult periods in the life of parents and their children is the eruption of milk teeth, the appearance of molars (for example, a six tooth), and then the change of milk teeth to permanent ones. The child experiences severe discomfort, cries, and the mother does not know how to relieve the pain and help the baby. But changing teeth is a natural process that every child goes through. So you don't have to worry too much. It is enough to show interest and prepare in advance for this period by learning about the types of teeth, the order of their appearance and location, as well as the timing of the first eruption and change.
Types of teeth and their location
The lower and upper six teeth are dentin (the hard part of the tooth) with a cavity covered with a layer of enamel. It has a characteristic shape, is built from several special tissues, and also has its own nervous apparatus, circulatory and lymphatic system. Inside the cavity of the tooth, contrary to popular belief, there is a loose tissue penetrated by nerves and blood vessels.
Normally, a person has from 28 (full set) to 32 teeth (full set + 4 wisdom teeth). Each tooth has its own name and performsa specific function.
Incisors are teeth whose function is to bite off food. These are the front teeth that erupt first (4 down, 4 up).
Fangs - cone-shaped teeth, the functions of which are to tear and hold food (2 at the bottom, 2 at the top).
Premolars are small milk teeth, and then small molars, following the canines, a pair on each half of the jaw. There are 4 at the bottom, 4 at the top. This is the 1st, 2nd premolar, or if you give serial numbers - the 4th and 5th tooth.
Molars are teeth whose functions are in the primary mechanical processing of food. These are the largest molars. They are located next to the premolars, a pair on each half of the jaw (4 at the bottom, 4 at the top). 1st and 2nd molar or tooth six and seven. If in the adult period of life, after 20 years, an additional molar, a wisdom tooth, is formed, then their number becomes equal to 6 at the bottom and 6 at the top. Wisdom tooth - 3rd molar or figure eight.
Six milk teeth, as well as 7s and 8s, do not exist. They cut right through the root.
If today many people have seen what a separate molar six looks like from a photo on the network, then few know in what order the entire bite is located and what place this molar occupies.
By type, teeth are divided into milk and permanent.
There are only 20 teeth in the temporary milk bite of children: these are all 8 incisors, 4 canines, and 8 premolars.
In permanent occlusion there are 20 replaced and 8 initiallymolars, total 28: these are 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars and 8 molars cut immediately by the molars. An additional 4 molars may also appear - wisdom teeth. Then the bite will have 32 teeth.
Tooth structure
The teeth are located on the upper and lower jaws. They are made up of hard and soft tissue.
Solid:
- tooth enamel is the outer shell that protects the tooth;
- dentin - hard tissue, the basis of the entire tooth;
- dental cement - the tissue that covers the neck and root of the tooth.
The soft pulp is a loose tissue inside the dental cavity, which has a large number of vessels, both blood and lymphatic, and nerve endings.
Anatomically, the tooth can be divided into three parts:
- crown - the part protruding above the gum;
- root - a part located deep in the gum alveolus;
- the neck of the tooth is part of the actual transition of tooth enamel into cementum, that is, the place in the gap between the root and the crown.
Biochemical composition of the tooth
Since the parts of any tooth differ in their functions, they will also differ in biochemical composition.
The main composition of the entire tooth is water, organic and inorganic compounds. In particular, mineral components are important components.
Enamel is a hard, mineralized tissue. Its strength is due to the high degree of mineralization.
Dentin is a mineralized tissue that does not have cells as such and vessels. Forms the bulk of the tooth. Similar in structure toenamel, and with the bone tissue of the body.
Pulp is a connective tissue consisting of cells and intercellular substance. The pulp performs one of the important functions: it participates in the formation of dentin and provides the central nervous system with the necessary information about the state of the enamel and the tooth as a whole, which explains the high sensitivity of the teeth.
Mineralization is the process by which an organic base is formed and saturated with calcium s alts, in the presence of those in the body. This is an intensive process that occurs during teething and the formation of dentin and enamel, since initially the tooth has unmineralized enamel.
Milk teeth. Initial development
Dairy teeth are the first set of teeth. At birth, they are absent, but already laid in the gums. On the 7th week of embryo formation, in the area of future processes of the alveoli, there is a thickening of the epithelium, which in turn begins to grow in the form of an arcuate plate into the mesenchyme.
Eruption begins after birth, and always occurs in a certain sequence.
As a rule, milk incisors, front teeth, erupt first, during the period of 4-6 months of a child's life. But milk premolars - the latest both in terms of location in the milk bite, and in turn of appearance, erupt in a period of up to 3 years. By this age, the child has all 20 teeth.
But don't focus strictly on age. Eruption, loss and replacement of teeth depend on many factors, inincluding genetic ones. Therefore, the process may take place a little earlier, or vice versa a little later.
Then the formation of permanent occlusion begins. And the first erupting tooth, which will be the root, is the six, the permanent tooth, the 1st molar. There is no predecessor in its place. Next, the 2nd molar, or the seventh tooth, begins to appear.
Next, the replacement of all milk teeth, formed by that time, with permanent ones begins, and, as a rule, the process proceeds in the same order as the eruption of milk teeth, that is, starting from the front incisors and ending with the already permanent premolars (4 -m and 5th tooth).
The replacement process ends at the age of 8 to 12. This is a long period and, as mentioned above, depends on many factors.
And starting from the 1st molar, or the 6th in a row (six tooth), all new teeth make parents worry about their he alth and the correct formation of the child's bite.
Possible eruption disorders
The reasons that should make parents go to the dentist and orthodontist are different. But usually it is:
- Lost baby tooth prematurely or out of order. The cause may be physical trauma or damage to the tooth by caries. The shedding itself is not a serious problem. But, it may be necessary to install a temporary prosthesis in place of the milk tooth until the permanent one erupts. After all, the children's jaw is just being formed, and if nothing interferes with the neighboring teeth, then they can move towards the formedemptiness. And this will lead to the fact that there is simply not enough space for the future molar tooth.
- The opposite situation, when the milk tooth is too "stayed out". Under it, the root is already cut through, but it cannot be pushed out. In this case, the milk tooth must be removed by the dentist. However, please note that it is worth rushing to remove it only if the molar erupts over the milk tooth. If the root is not visible, and nothing causes discomfort, then pulling out the milk is not worth it. Since under the tooth there may simply not be a rudiment of the molar, and then the milk tooth will remain so for life.
Depending on the development of the child, both milk and permanent teeth may come out a little later than the standard period. If a milk tooth has not erupted, the cause may be an intrauterine infection that could affect the tooth germ. If it erupted, but did not tend to fall out, this is the standard deviation. The dentist will take an x-ray, and if there is no root germ, then the milk tooth does not need to be touched.
Indigenous and permanent teeth. What is the difference?
Many are accustomed to believing that a baby tooth is temporary, and a root tooth is permanent, already having a nerve. However, it is not. The correct division of the teeth implies milk and permanent teeth, which come to replace them.
But the molars are those teeth that never had predecessors, that is, the molars: the 6th, 7th, and 8th tooth (the 1st molar is a six tooth, the 2nd molar is tooth is a seven, and the 3rd molar is a tooth of eight).
A premolars (4th and 5th teeth, or 1st and 2nd premolars)first they are dairy, and then permanent, and also indigenous, because they replaced the dairy predecessors.
Change milk teeth
The process of changing the bite itself begins much earlier than the first tooth falls out. Over time, milk teeth cease to hold tightly in the gums, begin to stagger. And this happens due to the fact that the roots of such teeth are formed from tissue that can dissolve over time. But only if the rudiment of a permanent tooth appears.
The germ of the future tooth is separated from the milk root with just a thin bone plate. If it forms, it will begin to put pressure on this bone septum. Osteoclasts will begin to appear in the surrounding tissue, which are designed to destroy it.
From this moment on, the process of changing one tooth to another goes from two sides: the permanent one destroys the barrier plate, and the pulp of the milk tooth begins to turn into a tissue rich in blood vessels and the same osteoclasts that destroy the dentin of the milk tooth. As a result, the root dissolves, and only the neck with the crown remains, which are easily removed during the growth of a new tooth.
Molars
The most important task of the molars is to chew food. They do not appear at an early age, since the chewing function is not yet necessary.
But when they start to erupt, it gives a lot of discomfort to children and experiences to their parents. After all, the structure of the molar tooth is different from the rest.
The molars of the upper jaw have three roots and fourinternal canals, and the molars of the lower jaw - two roots and three canals. But the problems are not in the root canals, but in the fact that these are the largest teeth with a wide masticatory tuberous surface, due to which the tooth erupts rather slowly, literally cutting through the gum.
The process almost always causes pain and inflammation of the gums. And if we take into account that the first tooth without a future replacement is a six-molar, which climbs at the age of about 5-6 years, then due attention must be paid. In addition to its proper formation, it must be he althy. Indeed, in the event of a lesion, for example, by caries, the removal of a six tooth will entail further prosthetics or leave a void, which can also affect the formation of the jaw and the entire bite.
Molar teething symptoms
Molar teeth usually come out first from the molars.
During the teething period, the defenses of the immune system are weakened, and the following symptoms similar to colds may appear:
- fever;
- runny nose;
- and most importantly - increased salivation.
And since the teeth appear in pairs, that is, the canine on the upper right side erupts at the same time as the canine on the upper left side, then the teeth of the six in children come out together, which can aggravate the process.
These teeth erupt the very first of the molars. To relieve the symptoms of a small child and relieve some pain, you can massage the gums with your finger, but be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before doing this. Otherwise, the infection will not be difficult. And older childrenyou can chew hard vegetables or fruits: apples, carrots and other hard foods.
Note to parents
Below you can see a detailed diagram that will tell you when milk teeth appear, they change to permanent ones, and when molars begin to grow.
Today, many mothers try to control how their child brushes their teeth, but not always succeed. And then everything takes off. They are mistaken, believing that while all the milk teeth, do not worry, because they will be replaced anyway. However, things are not so simple.
As can be understood from the above, in early childhood, the most important teeth for chewing - molars erupt, and they will remain for life. If the child began to complain of pain, then most likely the six tooth gives it when it grows. Or next molar.
But if the tooth is formed and continues to hurt, then you should immediately consult a dentist. The root cause, most likely, will be caries, and it is better to install a filling immediately, otherwise the roots of the six tooth will be affected.
At first, it is difficult for a young mother to grow the first teeth, when the child does not sleep at night, and all kinds of toys for chewing during teething do not have an effect. The child is crying, but it is impossible to help. Then comes the growth of the first molars, which is exacerbated by the possibility of damage. And as a result, control weakens. And the baby grows, begins to eat sweets, and all this is reflected mainly in the molars, due to their wide surface. And the lower molars, and inIn particular, the lower six tooth is most susceptible to the destructive effects of bacteria.
Dental diseases
Parents need to remember one rule: if a child starts having a toothache, check the six first.
As they say, any disease is much easier to prevent than to treat it later. The same applies to diseases of the teeth and oral cavity.
Six teeth on top and bottom, despite their strength, are subject to both mechanical damage from physical effort and the effects of an acidic bacterial environment. And since all permanent teeth have nerve endings, any damage will cause pain, and most importantly, irreversible damage to the structure of the tooth, not to mention its possible loss.
If, due to tissue damage by any disease, it is necessary to remove the six tooth, and this is the largest molar tooth, then in addition to the fact that the quality of chewing food will be impaired, an empty hole with a wound will remain, which will increase the likelihood of infection of the entire gums.
The most common dental disease is caries. This is a slowly ongoing process of bacteria affecting the tooth enamel, as a result of which they gain access to the dentin and destroy it. In addition, since the path to the pulp, in which the vessels and nerves are located, is open, an infection can get there and cause inflammation of the internal tissues, pulpitis.
Tatar is not so much a disease as the result of improper brushing of teeth, as a result of which, or lack of it, softplaque that hardens over time, making it difficult to remove in the future. In most cases, it is not dangerous, and is removed in the dental office. However, it can cause inflammation of the gums - periodontitis. And if left untreated, superficial inflammation of the gums can develop into a deep one. And then the teeth will suffer.
Molar tooth extraction
Removal of any teeth is a very serious procedure. And the removal of a six tooth is also unpleasant. It is difficult for any adult to endure such an intervention, and a child even more so. No matter how well the equipment and anesthesia are chosen, no matter how competent the doctor is, all the same, swelling of the tooth socket and surrounding tissues cannot be avoided. Moreover, the method of removing such teeth involves loosening them, which can adversely affect neighboring teeth.
Remove them only for serious reasons. Any competent dentist will try to save the tooth. Assign removal in two cases. Or the tooth interferes with the normal growth of other teeth and the bite can deteriorate because of it. Or it can harm the body in case of serious caries damage.
Indications and contraindications for removal
Absolute indication - acute purulent inflammation with the possibility of developing osteomyelitis or phlegmon.
Relative readings:
- development of a cyst at the root;
- destruction of the outer part of the tooth without the possibility of restoration;
- dystopia or incorrect position of the tooth in the gum;
- malocclusion;
- periodontitis of the third and fourth degree;
- inflammationteeth caused by tuberculosis or actinomycosis;
- supernumerary upper or lower six teeth that cause malocclusion;
- damage to the root of the tooth during dental intervention.
Tooth care
In order for the teeth not to be exposed to diseases and not to cause pain and inconvenience, it is necessary to regularly monitor their cleanliness, as well as to carry out hygiene measures for brushing your teeth every day. Dental care is a simple and he althy habit that prevents many dental and oral diseases.
With the help of a toothbrush and paste, with light movements, without excessive pressure on the teeth and gums, food debris and plaque are removed. Together with them, bacteria that cause the destruction of enamel are also destroyed.
Generally, doctors recommend brushing your teeth 2 times a day, morning and evening, but too frequent and intensive brushing, along with its absence, can harm your teeth. Since this is how the natural barrier that protects the dentin from the external influence of microorganisms is erased.
Particularly difficult places to clean are:
- inner side of lower incisors;
- inner surface of lower molars;
- outer surface of upper molars;
- back surface of last upper molars;
- and especially the teeth of the six in children, since the bumpy surface does not always allow the bristles to “sweep” everything superfluous from the surface of the teeth.
Tooth brush notshould have too hard bristles to avoid damaging the gums.
Additionally, you can use herbal decoctions for rinsing. Chamomile or calendula will do as they are natural antiseptics and soothe minor gum disease. Very useful infusion of propolis. But you need to use it with caution, because. it has many contraindications.
