When a child's milk teeth begin to fall out

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

During the period when milk teeth begin to fall out in children, a number of changes associated with growing up occur in the child's body. Parents' knowledge of the physiological characteristics will help keep the child's permanent teeth healthy.

Why do teeth change?

During the period when milk teeth are replaced with permanent ones, the child's chewing apparatus undergoes certain changes due to the fact that the developing organism has an increased need to consume solid adult food, for which milk teeth are not suitable.

Knowing when the baby teeth begin to fall out in children, parents will be able to ensure the correct formation of the dentition and maintain a healthy state of the entire oral cavity.

The baby's chewing apparatus grows and forms from the moment of its birth until the completion of its growth. Until a year of life, a child does not need many milk teeth, since his main food is mother's milk. By the age of 12 months, the baby has 10 teeth, which are quite enough for him.

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In total, at the time of the change of deciduous teeth, 20 dental units grow in children. Another 10 teeth grow by 2-3 years, as the chewing apparatus continues to develop. At 5-6 years of age, the jaw is fully formed, and when the baby's milk teeth begin to fall out, permanent teeth appear in their place.

Milk teeth are too fragile, unlike permanent teeth. They do not have such a powerful root system as the permanent dental units.

They cannot withstand a large chewing load when chewing solid food, so a natural replacement of the dentition occurs. This is a painless process, since the tooth gradually looses before falling out, and then it moves away from the gum itself.

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The sequence of changing teeth in children

Milk teeth in all children change according to a certain pattern. It is similar to the one according to which they appear in a baby. First, the roots of the upper pair of incisors are absorbed, then the lower. Usually the anterior incisors on the upper and lower jaw fall out first by 6-7 years of age. Recently, due to the accelerated development of children, the front milk teeth can fall out by the age of 5.

Lateral milk incisors fall out at the age of 7-8 years of a child's life. Dairy first painters drop out at 9-10 years old. Second painters and canines usually change at 10-12 years. Below is a diagram of the replacement of milk teeth in children.

An adult, unlike babies, grows 32 permanent teeth. The difference in the number of deciduous and permanent teeth is due to the different size of the jaw. While the jawbone lengthens in the first 5 years of a child's life, milk teeth are in his mouth.

During the replacement of the milk dentition with a permanent one, two pairs of teeth begin to appear on each jaw. These are the so-called premolars, which are located between the canines and molars.

Below is a table with a graph of the appearance and loss of milk teeth:

During the replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones, that is, by the age of 12, 28 dental units grow. And 4 wisdom teeth appear already in adults after 17-18 years.

In most cases, children's teeth change painlessly. Dairy products lose their stability and fall out after their roots dissolve. The appearance of permanent dental units may be accompanied by a slight discomfort in the child.

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Parents can understand that baby teeth begin to change due to the increasing distance between them. This is due to the fact that the baby's jaw is lengthening. If by the age of 6 there are no gaps between the baby's teeth, then you should contact your dentist.

When a child's milk teeth begin to fall out, a permanent tooth may erupt next to an incisor, painter or canine that has not yet fallen out. This is not dangerous, but if the milk does not fall out within three months, you need to contact the pediatric dentist, who will pull it out and examine the place where the new unit appears.

How long do milk teeth change

Parents need to know not only when the baby's milk teeth begin to fall out and in what order the permanent ones grow. It is also important the time it takes to completely change milk teeth to permanent ones.

It takes 6 to 8 years for all permanent teeth to appear. This time is needed for the appearance of the anterior and posterior teeth:

• incisors;
• molars;
• fangs.

In girls, milk teeth begin to change a year faster, in boys a little later. The start of replacement and its duration depend on a number of factors:

• heredity;
• quality of food;
• water quality;
• oral hygiene.

First, the front incisors grow, then the painters and canines. The molars are the last to appear. The time of changing milk teeth for real ones should be the period of accustoming the child to caring for the oral cavity. This will keep the permanent ones in good condition.

Milk teeth treatment

When changing milk teeth to permanent ones, 20% of children may develop problems such as a shark jaw, when the teeth begin to grow in two rows. Also, the timing may be greatly violated due to pathologies of the oral cavity. Most often today we have to deal with caries, which affects the milk teeth of babies.

Milk teeth can fall out prematurely due to jaw injuries or congenital malocclusion. If permanent milk drops do not appear for a long time in place, then the child has all the signs of rickets.

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Milk teeth fall out on time. If there are no cavities and pulpitis in them, then they will change painlessly. Therefore, milk teeth need to be treated, despite the fact that they will soon fall out. The development of inflammatory processes in the oral cavity at a young age can lead to decay of permanent teeth.

Parents should remember that it is impossible to remove milk teeth from children, as this can disrupt the process of forming a new dentition. Dentists never pull out milk teeth ahead of time. And they do this only in the case of its strong destruction, which does not allow restoration.

Also, a milk tooth is removed if a root cyst begins to develop on its root or in acute inflammation with the development of pulpitis, or when a permanent tooth begins to grow under it, and the milk one is in no hurry to fall out.

Summarize

1. Children have only 20 milk teeth, which begin to fall out at 5-6 years of age.
2. Milk teeth do not have a powerful root system. They are too weak to chew on solid food.
3. When the baby's jaw begins to grow, gaps appear between the baby teeth. This is the first sign that the roots of milk teeth have begun to dissolve, and the teeth will soon begin to fall out.
4. Dairy products fall out painlessly if there are no cavities in them. Caries must be treated.