Teeth Development in Children

The development of a child’s teeth is one of the most crucial parts of their health as they grow. Ensure you understand their teeth development and what to do to ensure they stay healthy.

There are different types of teeth:

Incisors: These are the front teeth found at the lower and upper jaw. Every incisor has a thin cutting edge. The incisors of the upper and lower jaws connect like scissors

Canines: They are located on both sides of the incisors and are pointy. They are used to break food.

Premolars: Located after canines and have a flat surface to break food.

Molars: They are broader, larger than premolars with a flat surface that grinds food.

PRIMARY TEETH

Baby teeth or primary teeth are the 20 first teeth that grow in children when they are toddlers and infants. Baby teeth are crucial for the development of the child’s general health, mouth, and overall development. Their functions are for chewing food, developing speech, and providing space for where permanent teeth will erupt from.

When do a baby’s teeth start growing?

Primary teeth develop beneath the gums during birth and will come into position when they are about 6 months of age until they are 2 years old.

However, this eruption process differs between children. Some will not show their primary teeth till they are one year of age. Teeth erupt through the gums in order from the front to the back of the mouth. The lower teeth often erupt 1 to 2 months before the upper teeth.

Dental Care for Primary Teeth

Primary teeth are naturally extremely white. Therefore, any discoloration is an indicator of dental condition or cavity. Contact your dentists once you notice this. It is good to keep the primary teeth in place until they are lost naturally to ensure proper development and growth of permanent teeth. Having routine care will keep your child’s primary teeth till they are ready for exfoliation. This paves way for permanent teeth as advised by the Great Hill Dental in Chelmsford.

PERMANENT TEETH DEVELOPMENT AND ERUPTION
When a child is 6 years old, their front teeth or primary incisors will begin to loosen and fall. As this happens the permanent molars and permanent incisors will begin to grow. The incisors grow at the age of 6 to 8 years. Most children will stop losing their teeth until they are 9 years where the primary molars will fall and be replaced by permanent premolars. Canines erupt at the ages of 11 and 12.

Wisdom Teeth

These are the last teeth to erupt in teeth development. They are also known as the third molars. They erupt as early as 14 or 15 years of age while others experience this when they are in their twenties. It is common for the wisdom teeth to be positioned in ways that they cannot erupt naturally or missing. When the wisdom teeth are in a position that they can become a site for infection or they may cause damage to the adjacent teeth they need to be removed immediately.

Oral Hygiene

During the children’s teeth development, oral hygiene is crucial in setting the child’s course for their smile future. Particularly, during mixed dentition time where both permanent and primary teeth coexist in the child’s mouth ensure to pay extra care and attention to oral hygiene to ensure all teeth are clean.

Regular Dental Appointments

During mixed dentition; practicing routine oral care and hygiene will ensure proper development of the child’s permanent teeth and their supporting structures. Daily care with catch any issues of development of the permanent teeth for example inadequate space for them to erupt into their right position leaving them out of line or crooked. The dentist will monitor that closely and will recommend a treatment if it is appropriate for the child.

Final Takeaway

Teeth development is a crucial stage in your child’s growth and should be treated with the utmost care. A child should visit a doctor throughout their teeth development stage. Once their teeth have developed to an appropriate stage and need corrective treatment, it would be good to try Invisalign to slowly shift their teeth to the right place. A pediatric dentist has proper training and skills to help any child through teeth development. It is also important for every parent to understand their child and know how their teeth grow to ensure they stay on track to a healthy smile.