How many teeth in a child's mouth
Teeth development in children - Better Health Channel
The development of primary teeth begins while the baby is in the womb. At about 5 weeks' gestation, the first buds of primary teeth appear in the baby's jaws. At birth, the baby has a full set of 20 primary teeth (10 in the upper jaw, 10 in the lower jaw) hidden under the gums. Primary teeth are also known as baby teeth, milk teeth or deciduous teeth.
Types of teeth
The names of the different types of teeth are:
- Incisors – the front teeth located in the upper and lower jaws. Each incisor has a thin cutting edge. The upper and lower incisors come together like a pair of scissors to cut the food.
- Canines – the pointy teeth on both sides of the incisors in the upper and lower jaws; used to tear food.
- Premolars – which have flat surfaces to crush food.
- Molars – these are larger than premolars towards the back of the mouth, with broad, flat surfaces that grind food.
Teething
'Eruption' refers to the tooth breaking through the gum line. In babies, tooth eruption is also called teething. The timing of tooth eruption differs from child to child. For example, one child may cut their first tooth when only a few months old, while another may not start teething until they are 12 months old or more.
The exact timing may be different from child to child but the order of tooth development is more consistent.
Generally, the average child has their full set of 20 primary teeth by the age of 3 years.
Managing the teething process
Babies’ immune systems start to change when they are around 6 months old. Along with the tendency to put things in their mouths, this makes them more prone to illnesses. Symptoms of common childhood illnesses such as changes in sleep and eating patterns, fussiness, rash, drooling, runny nose and diarrhoea are often linked to teething when that might not be the cause. If your child has these symptoms, speak to your child’s doctor about other possible causes such as bacterial, viral or middle ear infections.
Teething takes about 8 days, which includes 4 days before and 3 days after the tooth comes through the gum. (You may see a blue-grey bubble on the gum where the tooth is about to appear. This is called an eruption cyst and will usually go away without treatment.) During this time, it can be tough to keep children comfortable.
Some tips include:
- Massage – gently massage the gum with clean fingers or a soft, wet cloth.
- Chilled (not frozen) teething rings or rusks – pressure from a cold object can relieve discomfort from teething. Do not sterilise plastic teething rings in boiling water or dishwater, unless specified by the manufacturer. Be sure to check product information before buying teething rings. Avoid the ones that use a plastic softener called 'diisononyl phthalate'.
- Unsweetened teething rusks or sugar-free teething biscuits – these can be given to infants over 6 months who have started eating solids.
- Pain-relieving medications – paracetamol works well for children.
Ibuprofen may also help, but it is not as well tolerated by children. - Dry the drool – the skin around the mouth, particularly the chin area, can become irritated. Gently wipe this away with a soft cloth throughout the day.
Some treatments should be used with caution or not at all. These include:
- Teething necklaces – amber is believed by some people to release healing oil on contact with warm skin. The oil is thought to be soothing or help to reduce pain. Although amber teething strings or necklaces are designed to be worn around the neck, wrist or ankle, they have been incorrectly used to chew on. The ACCC has issued a product safety statement about amber teething necklaces, warning of possible choking and strangulation hazards. Parents are asked to consider other less risky ways of providing relief from teething.
- Teething gels – common teething gels contain 8.7–9.0% of the ingredient choline salicylate. Salicylate is related to aspirin. The use of aspirin for children younger than 16 is not recommended because in some children it has been known to cause Reye's syndrome – a rare but potentially lethal condition that can cause liver and brain damage.
Although there has not been a reported case of Reye's syndrome associated with the use of teething gels, the general advice is that it is a risk not worth taking when there are other things available.
Teething gels containing benzocaine are also not recommended for use in children. Research also suggests that teething gels may not relieve teething pain, rather the act of massaging it into the gum is what helps.
Caring for baby teeth
Some parents may feel that caring for baby (primary) teeth isn't as important as caring for adult (permanent) teeth, simply because baby teeth fall out.
However, baby teeth are very important. They allow children to chew food and speak properly, and they reserve the spaces in the gums for future adult teeth.
Tooth decay in baby teeth
Tooth decay is preventable. The risk of developing dental decay can be significantly reduced by good oral hygiene habits and a healthy diet from a young age.
Decayed baby teeth need to be treated by a dental practitioner.
In some cases, specialist treatment in a hospital under a general anaesthetic is needed. If neglected, decayed baby teeth can lead to mouth pain, dental abscesses (a boil or swelling resulting from infected teeth), and problems with the surrounding teeth. Severe decay in baby teeth can affect eating and sleep, which can slow growth.
If a baby molar is lost too early due to severe decay, adjacent baby teeth may drift into the gap and create spacing problems for the adult tooth when it comes through.
Watch this Australian Dental Association video about caring for children’s oral health.
Loss of baby teeth
From the age of about 6 years, baby teeth start to become 'wobbly' and fall out to make way for adult teeth. It is perfectly normal for a child to lose their first tooth up to a year or 2 earlier or later than 6 years of age. Girls generally lose teeth earlier than boys. The first tooth to fall out is usually located in the front of the lower jaw.
Losing baby teeth can be unsettling and painful for young children.
Suggestions for parents include:
- Reassure your child that losing baby teeth is a natural process and new adult teeth will come in their place. It's normal for gums to be tender and bleed a little, although some children experience little or no discomfort while losing their teeth.
- Use cold packs or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory or pain-relieving medication to help relieve loose tooth pain. Ask your dentist or pharmacist for recommendations on appropriate medication for your child.
- Make use of the Tooth Fairy. This myth has lasted a long time with good reason! The idea of getting some money or another reward in exchange for a tooth might soften the idea of tooth loss for your child.
Permanent teeth
Permanent teeth are also known as adult teeth or secondary teeth. The permanent teeth start to develop in the jaws at birth and continue after a child is born. By about 21 years, the average person has 32 permanent teeth, including 16 in the upper jaw and 16 in the lower jaw.
(In some cases, the third molars – commonly called wisdom teeth – do not develop or do not erupt so some people only have a set of 28 permanent teeth.)
At about the age of 6 years, the first permanent molar teeth erupt. These 4 molars (2 in each jaw) come out behind the child's baby teeth. Other permanent teeth, such as the incisors, canines, and premolars, erupt into the gaps in the gum left by baby teeth that are lost.
As with baby teeth, the timing for when the permanent teeth come through can differ. Generally, the order of and rough timeline for each type of permanent tooth is:
- First molars – between 6 and 7 years.
- Central incisors – between 6 and 8 years.
- Lateral incisors – between 7 and 8 years.
- Canine teeth – between 9 and 13 years.
- Premolars – between 9 and 13 years.
- Second molars – between 11 and 13 years.
- Third molars (wisdom teeth) – between the ages of 17 and 21 years, if at all.
Mouthguards protect children's teeth
Mouthguards help protect teeth and prevent dental injuries, particularly when playing and training for contact sports.
All children playing contact sports should wear a custom-fitted mouthguard, even primary school-age children. Custom-fitted mouthguards are comfortable, allow speech and do not restrict breathing. Learn more about mouthguards.
Where to get help
- Your dentist
- Australian Dental Association ‘Find a Dentist’ or Tel. (03) 8825 4600
- Dental Health Services Victoria Tel. (03) 9341 1000 or 1800 833 039 outside Melbourne metro - provides public dental services through the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and community dental clinics, for eligible people.
- Maternal and Child Health Line (24 hours) Tel. 13 22 29
- NURSE-ON-CALL (24 hours, 7 days) Tel. 1300 60 60 24 – for expert health information and advice
- Royal Children's Hospital (Dentistry) Tel. (03) 9345 5344
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!
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.
To the list of posts
features of growth and change - dentistry President
Waiting for the first milk teeth in a baby is an exciting and pleasant time, although it is accompanied by some inconvenience. However, one expectation is soon replaced by another. And now mom and dad can’t wait until the baby teeth begin to change into permanent ones.
Contents
- Growth and change of milk teeth
- Tooth change mechanism
- Dental care features
- Teeth grow crooked: what to do?
- Tooth fell out: what are your actions?
- Caries in milk teeth: prevention and treatment
Changes associated with the growth and loss of teeth in a child always raise a lot of questions.
One of the first - when the first molars appear. Answer: 6-7 years old. The rest you will learn from our article.
Growth and replacement of milk teeth
It is interesting to know that milk teeth begin to form when the baby is in the mother's womb. And after birth, permanent teeth begin to develop in the gums. This is a long and exciting process, the duration of which depends on the characteristics of the individual development of a small person.
Normally, an adult has 32 teeth, 16 on top and bottom. A small child has fewer of them - only 20. The critter begins to lose its milk wealth as soon as the formation of permanent teeth in the gum ends. They erupt, displacing temporary teeth.
Possible pain during the change of teeth is the subject of frequent unrest among parents. But we hasten to reassure: in 90% of cases, the eruption of molars occurs almost painlessly. The roots of milk teeth simply dissolve, resulting in natural loss.
Most often, the lower teeth change first, but how this will happen in your child and at what speed is an individual question.
On average, all teeth are replaced within 6-8 years. That is, by the age of 14, a teenager will already have a complete set. However, even here there are some nuances. Ultimately, the intensity of the loss of old and the eruption of new teeth is influenced by genetic predisposition, as well as the quality of nutrition. Even drinking water can affect the speed and then the health of your child's teeth.
If the water quality is poor, the risk of caries and pulpitis in milk teeth is higher than in a situation where a good, mineral-rich liquid is consumed. Often, in order to avoid damage to the molars growing after them, the milk teeth are pulled out. It is possible to treat them, but it is not always advisable. Ultimately, this issue should be decided by a specialist.
It is interesting to know that the region also affects the change of the dentition.
The factors that delay or accelerate the growth of permanent teeth can also be attributed to the standard of living of the family, the nature of the disease.
Mechanism for changing teeth
Another interesting fact to add to your knowledge about teeth: the so-called sixes, or molars, erupt first. But growing up, they do not provoke the loss of milk teeth simply because they are not there. These are additional teeth that stand next to the infant ones.
But then there is a complete change of milk teeth to molars. Start the relay, as in the first months of a baby's life, incisors. First the lower ones fall out, and then the upper ones. After that, the premolars change, the first pair is renewed at the age of 10, the second at about 12. By the age of 13, the child, as a rule, already has brand new molars, and at 14 the second molars grow. The third line of molars (wisdom teeth) normally grow in an older teenager, but in practice they erupt already in adults.
In some cases, the eights are not shown at all on the surface of the gums.
Dental care features
The sooner you teach your child about oral care, the healthier their teeth will be. Cleaning is necessary for both molars and milk teeth. Moreover, the first permanent teeth especially need this, because at first the enamel is still very thin. She lacks minerals to resist germs and cavities. Therefore, experts recommend using a paste containing fluorine. After each meal, it is strongly recommended to rinse your mouth with clean water. During the day, it is advisable to consume less sweets, because. sugar destroys enamel.
Sometimes during the process of changing teeth, discomfort in the gums and itching are observed, complaints of increased sensitivity during eating are noted. Calcium-containing foods and vitamin-mineral complexes help strengthen teeth. A qualified pediatric dentist will be able to give practical advice on relieving pain and itching, as well as prescribing vitamins.
Teeth grow crooked: what to do?
The curvature of the molars can appear literally out of the blue, even if the milk line was perfect. The most common cause of individual teeth protruding or misaligned is slow jaw growth, while the teeth themselves grow at a normal rate. Thus, there is simply little space for the teeth, and they take up space above the neighboring ones. Another cause of curvature is the habit of sucking a finger, tongue or foreign objects (pacifiers, pens, etc.).
It is possible to determine whether the baby's oral cavity is developing correctly at about 5 years of age. Conduct a simple inspection at home and pay attention to the gaps between the teeth. If they are sufficient for the appearance of the first molars, then everything is in order. If the milk teeth sit very tightly to each other, then it may make sense to visit an orthodontist.
Extraction of a milk tooth: in what cases is it necessary?
The desire of many parents to pull out a milk tooth immediately after it began to stagger can be explained by the desire to help the child, to ease his suffering.
However, this should not be done. With natural loosening, changing teeth is less painful.
There are two good reasons to have a tooth removed promptly:
- when it prevents the root from erupting, and this can lead to crookedness;
- when there is an inflammatory process.
You can also remove a tooth if it has been loosening for a long time and causing discomfort to the baby. In case of other concerns, we recommend that you contact a specialist.
Tooth fell out: what to do?
With a normal change of teeth, the wound does not bleed after falling out. In this case, it is enough for the child not to eat or drink for the next 2 hours. This will prevent the entry of irritating substances into the wound, as well as infection. As a prevention of infection, you can make a rinse solution: 2 tablespoons of salt in a glass of water with the addition of 2-3 drops of iodine.
If the cavity in the gum bleeds, do not be afraid. This only speaks of the rupture of thin vessels under the tooth.
You can stop bleeding by biting a cotton swab for 5-10 minutes. If after that the blood is still flowing, call a doctor and get tested.
Caries in milk teeth: prevention and treatment
Caries in milk teeth is a common problem in babies. Many parents do not attach much importance to it, relying on the early loss of the affected tooth, and make a mistake. A neglected infection can provoke deformation of the jaw, displacement of the molars, as well as their defeat even in the infancy.
Most often, caries is detected at the age of 2-3 years, and the appearance of dark spots is affected not only by poor hygiene, but even by the mother's lifestyle during pregnancy. Improper nutrition, taking strong medications, as well as bad habits often provoke the development of caries in the process of intrauterine development of the baby.
Tooth decay is also common in premature babies, formula-fed babies (especially with prolonged bottle use), and babies with gastrointestinal problems.
