How many teeth does a human child have
Your Teeth (for Kids) - Nemours KidsHealth
You bite into an apple and then try to start talking to your friend about yesterday's math homework. Suddenly something feels funny — one of your baby teeth has fallen out! It's been loose forever, and now there it is, right in your hand. And you have an empty space in your mouth big enough to poke a drinking straw through.
Before you put that tooth under your pillow, did you know that there is much more to that tooth than meets the eye? A single tooth has many different parts that make it work. And teeth play an important role in your daily life. They not only let you eat stuff like apples, they also help you talk. So let's talk teeth!
Tiny Teeth
Unlike your heart or brain, your teeth weren't ready to work from the day you were born. Although babies have the beginnings of their first teeth even before they are born, teeth don't become visible until babies are about 6 to 12 months old.
After that first tooth breaks through, more and more teeth begin to appear. Most kids have their first set of teeth by the time they are 3 years old. These are called the primary teeth, baby teeth, or milk teeth and there are 20 in all. When a child gets to age 5 or 6, these teeth start falling out, one by one.
A primary tooth falls out because it is being pushed out of the way by the permanent tooth that is behind it. Slowly, the permanent teeth grow in and take the place of the primary teeth. By about age 12 or 13, most kids have lost all of their baby teeth and have a full set of permanent teeth.
There are 32 permanent teeth in all — 12 more than the original set of baby teeth. Most people have four teeth (called wisdom teeth) grow in at the back of the mouth when they're between 17 and 25 years old. These complete the adult set of 32 teeth.
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Tooth Tour
Let's take a tour of your teeth. Look in the mirror at your own teeth or check out a friend's smile. The part of the tooth you can see, which is not covered by the gum (your gums are the pink, fleshy part), is called the crown. The crown of each tooth is covered with enamel (say: ih-NAM-ul), which is very hard and often shiny. Enamel is a very tough substance and it acts as a tooth's personal bodyguard. Enamel works as a barrier, protecting the inside parts of the tooth.
If you were able to peel away the enamel, you would find dentin (say: DEN-tin). Dentin makes up the largest part of the tooth. Although it is not as tough as enamel, it is also very hard.
Dentin protects the innermost part of the tooth, called the pulp. The pulp is where each tooth's nerve endings and blood supply are found. When you eat hot soup, bite into a super-cold scoop of ice cream, fall and hurt a tooth, or get a cavity, it's your pulp that hurts. The nerve endings inside the pulp send messages to the brain about what's going on ("That ice cream is too cold!"). The pulp also contains the tooth's blood vessels, which feed the tooth and keep it alive and healthy.
The pulp goes all the way down into the root of the tooth, which is under the gum. Cementum (say: sih-MEN-tum) makes up the root of the tooth, which is anchored to the jawbone.
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Tooth Types
You've probably noticed that you have different types of permanent teeth in your mouth. Each one has its own function.
Your two front teeth and the teeth on either side of them are incisors (say: in-SY-zurs). There are four on the top and four on bottom.
Incisors are shaped like tiny chisels, with flat ends that are somewhat sharp. These teeth are used for cutting and chopping food. Think back to that apple you ate: You used your incisors to crunch into the skin of the apple.
The pointy teeth beside your incisors are called canine (say: KAY-nine) teeth. There are four of them, two on top and two on bottom. Because these teeth are pointy and also sharp, they help tear food.
Next to your canine teeth are your premolars (say: PREE-mo-lurs), which are also called bicuspid teeth. You have eight premolars in all, four on top and four on the bottom. You'll need to open a bit wider to see these teeth, but when you do, you'll notice that their shape is completely different from both incisors and canines. Premolars are bigger, stronger, and have ridges, which make them perfect for crushing and grinding food.
If you open your mouth really wide, you'll see your molars (say: MO-lurs). You have eight of these, four on the top and four on the bottom. Sometimes these are called your 6-year molars and your 12-year molars because that is around the time when they come in.
Molars are the toughest of the bunch. They are even wider and stronger than premolars, and they have more ridges. Molars work closely with your tongue to help you swallow food. How? The tongue sweeps chewed-up food to the back of your mouth, where the molars grind it until it's mashed up and ready to be swallowed.
As we mentioned earlier, the last teeth a person gets are wisdom teeth. These are also called third molars. They are all the way in the back of the mouth, one in each corner.
Wisdom teeth may have to be removed because they can cause problems in a person's mouth. Some people believe that wisdom teeth may have been used by people millions of years ago when humans had larger jaws and ate food that needed a lot of chewing. It's believed that they're called wisdom teeth because they come in later in life, when a young person is becoming older and wiser.
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Tooth Talk
Your teeth are great for chewing, but you also need them to talk. Different teeth work with your tongue and lips to help you form sounds. Try saying the word "tooth" slowly and notice how your tongue first hits the inside of your incisors to produce the hard "t" sound and then goes in between your upper and lower teeth to make the "th" sound.
And if you love to sing "la la la la la," you can thank those teeth every time you sing a song. Pay attention to what happens to your teeth and tongue every time you make the "l" sound.
Treating Teeth Kindly
Brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste is your best bet when it comes to keeping your teeth in tip-top shape. Try to brush after eating or at least twice a day. It's especially important to brush before bedtime.
The best way to brush your teeth is in little circles — go around and around until you have covered every surface of every tooth. Brush up and down, rather than side to side. You'll also want to clean between your teeth with dental floss (a special string for cleaning your teeth) at least once a day. That removes food and plaque (sticky stuff that can cause cavities or gum disease) that get stuck in between your teeth. You can also brush your tongue to help keep your breath fresh! Your dentist may suggest that you use an alcohol-free mouth rinse.
It's also important to visit your favorite tooth experts — your dentist and dental hygienist. During your appointment, they'll look out for any problems and clean and polish your teeth. Sometimes the dentist will take X-rays to get a better picture of what is going on in your mouth. You also might get a fluoride treatment while you're there.
In between dentist visits, you can prevent problems by eating fewer sugary snacks and sugary drinks, such as soda. Sugar can hurt your teeth and cause tooth decay, or cavities. But if you take care of your teeth now, you'll be chewing like a champ for the rest of your life!
On Top, On Bottom, and Babies
Do you know how many teeth you have? Depending on if all of your adult teeth came in, or if you’ve ever had teeth removed or damaged, all adults have roughly the same number of teeth.
Do you know how many teeth you have? Depending on if all of your adult teeth came in, or if you’ve ever had teeth removed or damaged, all adults have roughly the same number of teeth. Teeth are an important part of both your bone structure and your digestion.
Every tooth has three layers: the enamel, dentin, and pulp.
- Enamel.
Enamel is the visible, white, outer layer. This hard surface protects the inner
layers of each tooth from the damage of decay or injury. Enamel is the hardest
tissue in the whole body. - Dentin.
This is the middle layer of the tooth, which is the most similar to bone
tissue. Dentin makes up the majority of the tooth structure. It has millions of
tiny tubes connecting it to the life-source of the tooth: pulp. - Pulp.
The pulp is the living core of each tooth, and the innermost layer. The pulp is
made up of blood and nerves.
The part of the tooth above the gumline is called the crown. And the part of the tooth below the gumline is called the root, which attaches the tooth to your jawbone.
On average, babies first start getting new teeth around 6 months. But it’s not unheard of to see a 3 month old with a tooth, or a 1 year old with just one tooth still. All a child’s “baby teeth” should be in between 2-3 years old.
Baby teeth are also called primary, or deciduous teeth, because they’re temporary and they fall out. A full set of baby teeth is 20 teeth: 10 on top and 10 on bottom.
We get baby teeth because as a child, our mouths aren’t big enough for a full set of adult teeth, but kids still need teeth to chew. So all people are born with both full sets of teeth in their jaw. First come the baby teeth and later, as kids grow older, they lose them and gain their larger, adult teeth one by one.
Even though baby teeth are “temporary,” it’s important that they’re kept clean so that they’re healthy, to maintain lifelong oral health. Tooth decay in childhood can adversely affect adult teeth.
Brush your child’s baby teeth for 2 whole minutes, just as you do your own.
How to care for baby teeth
- Start a brushing routine as soon as your baby’s first tooth pops up.
- Use a clean baby towel with warm water to rub each tooth. You can rub to clean gums, too.
- Let your child chew on a cold, wet towel. This can soothe teething soreness.
- When your toddler has most of their teeth in, you can switch to brushing with a kid’s toothbrush (usually one with soft bristles). Be sure to use one with a small head so that you can comfortably and effectively brush all their teeth.
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People start losing their baby teeth and getting their adult set as early as 5 years old. Adults have 32 teeth. You should have this full set of adult teeth by your late teens.
Adult teeth include incisors, canines, premolars, and molars:
- 8
incisors. Your four front teeth on the top and bottom are sharp for holding
and cutting food. Incisors
also help you sense the texture and kind of food you eat. - 4 canines
or cuspids. The pointed teeth on the top and bottom are called canine teeth, or
cuspids. They have cusps for grabbing and tearing food. - 8
premolars. These teeth are between the cuspids and molars both physically
and in form. Premolars
look like molars but they have two cusps and are sometimes called bicuspids.
Premolars cut and tear food. - 12 molars.
You have eight molars on top and bottom. They have broad chewing surfaces to
grind down food before it’s finally swallowed. This includes wisdom
teeth, your third set of molars, which can show up as late as your early
20s and are often removed.
Not everyone can comfortably fit all 32 adult teeth in their mouth. Science shows that human jaws began shrinking around the time humans transitioned from hunter-gather societies to sedentary farmers. This could be because the new foods that humans could eat were cooked softer and easier to chew, and thus eating to survive didn’t require a big strong jaw.
Having too many teeth, or overcrowding, can cause:
- misaligned teeth
- increased decay
- impacted wisdom
teeth - risk for periodontal disease
This is why many people have their wisdom teeth removed.
You get two full sets of teeth over your lifetime. As a baby, you have 20 teeth, and as an adult you should have 32 teeth.
Among the 32 teeth, each has its own function in the chewing and eating process. Take good care of your teeth and keep your gums healthy in order to avoid cavities and other overall health issues.
How many teeth should a child have? – news and articles Refformat
The answer to the question “how many teeth does a child have?” is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. The child's body changes almost every month - this also applies to teeth. Today we will try to figure out how many of them should be in different age periods.
Content
- How many baby teeth do children have?
- How many teeth should a child have per year?
- Change of milk teeth to molars
- How many teeth should a child have?
The answer to the question "how many teeth does a child have?" is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. The child's body changes almost every month - this also applies to teeth. Today we will try to figure out how many of them should be in different age periods.
How many baby teeth do children have?
Dairy and even some molars begin to form even at the stage of intrauterine development. Of course, a child does not have visible teeth at birth - they begin to erupt only after 6 months. During this six-month period, they are hidden under the gums, but slowly develop and form, starting to move outward.
In total, the child grows 20 milk teeth:
- Central and lateral incisors - 8.
- Fangs - 4.
- First and second molars - 8.
Their main function is to form a space where molars will then grow.
How many teeth should a child have per year?
During this period, milk teeth begin to cut. They begin to break out in the following sequence on the upper and lower jaw.
Top:
- 8-12 months. Central incisors.
- 9-13 months. Side cutters.
- 16-22 months. Fangs.
- 13-19 months. First molars.
- 25-33 months. Second molars.
On the lower jaw, this process is distributed in time somewhat differently:
- 6-10 months. Central incisors.
- 10-16 months. Side cutters.
- 17-23 months. Fangs.
- 14-18 months. First molars.
- 23-31 months. Second molars.
It is worth noting that these time limits are averaged and deviations up or down by 1-3 months is considered the norm.
If you want to know how many teeth a child has per year is considered the norm, you should be guided by the above chart. You get that at the age of 12 months they should be 6-8.
Change of milk teeth to molars
Somewhere from the age of 4, a child’s growth spurt begins, the jaws increase and the milk teeth seem to move apart, gaps appear between them - three. If this does not happen and by the age of 5 the teeth are still tight, you need to show the child to the dentist, as there may not be enough space for permanent teeth.
At about 5-6 years old, milk teeth begin to loosen and gradually fall out, which indicates that molars are already starting to grow under them. Usually this process of change stretches for 5-8 years and the final formation of the dentition occurs somewhere around the age of 14-15.
This happens in the following order:
- 5-6 years old - lower and upper incisors.
- 7-8 years - lower and upper lateral incisors.
- 8-10 years - upper and lower molars.
- 9-11 years old - upper and lower canines.
- 11-13 years old - upper and lower molars.
Milk teeth are replaced by permanent molars. Their number at the age of 14-16 is 28. At the same time, the third molars (wisdom teeth) are already formed, but they begin to grow only after 18 years. True, not all people grow them. It all depends on individual characteristics.
How many teeth should a child have?
It all depends on age. The maximum number of teeth in the period from birth to 5-6 years is 20 - these are milk teeth. Then, until the age of 15-16, the molars begin to erupt, pushing out the milk teeth. Ultimately, their number grows to 28.
The latest are the third molars. They grow only after 18 years, but not everyone.
It is worth noting that the period of formation and eruption of milk teeth is very individual. In some children, all 20 teeth grow by the age of 2, while in others - by 2.5 and later. Such delays within a year are considered the norm and are not an anomaly of development.
If the teeth did not start cutting in the first year of the baby's life, you should consult a doctor to find out the reasons.
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Milk teeth in children: the scheme of change and the anatomy of milk teeth in a child
Contents The change of milk teeth to permanent ones in children occurs at the age of 6-7 years. However, there are some deviations from this norm. Let's try to figure out how the change occurs, which teeth are changed and what parents should pay attention to during this process.
A bit of anatomy
An interesting fact is that milk teeth begin to form at the earliest stages of gestation. But they erupt, as a rule, when the baby reaches six months of age.
The question of how many milk teeth children should have is asked by many mothers. Their set is significantly different from the permanent ones. For example, if an adult should have 32 teeth, then milk teeth in young children are only 20. Loss begins after the permanent ones are formed. Basically, this process begins with the lower incisors and takes 6-8 years.
In what order do teeth change
Over time, the baby grows, and so does his jaw. That is why permanent molars (molars) appear first of all - they were absent earlier, because there was simply no place for them.
Then there is a complete change of teeth in approximately the same way as the growth of milk teeth in children. First of all, the lower incisors sway and painlessly fall out, then the upper ones, after which the turn of premolars comes (the first pair falls out in children by 10 years old, the second - by 12). The fangs are the last to fall out, they loosen only by the age of 13. By the age of 14, a child should already have permanent second molars. Already after 18 years, the third ones begin to erupt, in the people they are called wisdom teeth.
Many mothers are interested in the question “how many milk teeth fall out in children?”. They are all completely replaced by permanent ones, that is, 20 teeth should fall out.
How to care and when you may need medical attention
If a child complains of severe pain, you notice that the gums look inflamed, there is redness, and the enamel is too sensitive - this is a reason to contact a pediatric dentist. In addition, parents should provide the baby with a balanced diet with enough minerals and elements (in particular, calcium).
After the tooth falls out, there may be a wound that will bleed for 5-10 minutes. To avoid bleeding, you need to make a sterile cotton swab and wrap it with gauze, and then give it to the child to eat. If the bleeding cannot be stopped for a long time, you will have to contact your pediatrician and get tested, as there may be a problem with blood clotting.
Precautions
All teeth need constant care. For example, the enamel of milk teeth is fragile, and if proper monitoring is not carried out, there is a high risk of developing such an unpleasant phenomenon as caries. Then it will not be possible to postpone a visit to the doctor. Therefore, the main task of the parent is to choose the right toothpaste and make sure that the baby brushes his teeth regularly.
Many children neglect this action or rush to finish the procedure as soon as possible. It is necessary to explain to the child that brushing their teeth is a fundamental factor due to which they will be healthy for many years.