Hello everyone! In this blog, we would like to discuss about an often overlooked but very important topic: The significance of milk teeth. Many of us have heard phrases like, “They’re just milk teeth; they’ll fall off” or “Don’t worry about milk teeth; permanent teeth will replace them soon.” The common belief is that we need not worry about the health of the milk teeth since they will eventually be replaced. But is this really true? Let’s find out in this blog and I hope we can help you make an informed decision about your child’s dental health.
The arrival of your child’s first milk tooth is a major milestone. Milk teeth start appearing at 6 months and continue until around 2 to 2.5 years of age. By 2.5 years, most children have all 20 milk teeth. The timing of eruption of milk teeth can vary and upto 6 months of acceleration or delay in eruption or arrival of milk teeth is considered to be within the normal range.
All of us humans have two sets of teeth:
- Primary teeth: These are the milk or baby teeth that will eventually fall off and be replaced by permanent teeth.
- Permanent teeth: These teeth replace the milk teeth and last into adulthood.
Let’s understand the three main phases of human dentition:
- Primary Dentition Phase: Characterized by the presence of only milk teeth, this phase lasts from 6 months to about 6 years.
- Mixed Dentition Phase: During this phase, both milk and permanent teeth are present. It begins at age 6 with the arrival of the first permanent tooth and lasts upto 12-14 years until all the milk teeth are shed off. Yes, your child’s milk teeth last up to 12-14 years, which certainly warrants proper care.
- Permanent Dentition Phase: This phase starts from 12-14 years, once all milk teeth have fallen out and last into adulthood.
Now that we understand the different phases of human dentition, let’s delve into the importance of milk teeth and whether they require special attention and care.
1) Decay or Cavity in Primary Teeth
One of the most common consequences of poor brushing and neglecting proper oral hygiene in children is decay or cavities in the primary teeth. This issue can have significant implications for both your child’s overall health and dental well-being.
a) Prone to Rapid Spread of Decay
Milk teeth have a thinner outer protective enamel layer and a thinner inner dentin layer compared to permanent teeth. Due to this reduced thickness of enamel, decay can quickly reach the sensitive nerve area, known as the pulp, located beneath the enamel and dentin layers. This rapid progression makes it crucial to address cavities in primary teeth promptly to prevent further complications.
When the decay reaches the pulp, your child may complain of unbearable pain and difficulty in chewing on the affected side. If the decay is deep and the bacteria have spread to the underlying bone, it can manifest as swelling in the gums with pus discharge. When this occurs, extensive dental treatment is often necessary. This may include fillings to address the decay, root canal treatment if the decay is severe, and in the worst cases, extraction or removal of the affected milk tooth.
b) Nursing Bottle Caries
A particular type of caries that affects toddlers as young as 2 years old is known as “nursing bottle caries.” This occurs due to prolonged use of bottles with sweetened milk, particularly during nighttime feedings when the child falls asleep with the bottle in the mouth without cleaning the teeth and mouth. In this circumstance, the acids released from the milk can attack the enamel of the baby’s teeth throughout the night, leading to decay. Therefore, it is crucial to clean your child’s mouth and teeth after every feeding once the baby’s teeth have emerged.
To prevent this, establish good oral hygiene habits as soon as the first milk tooth appears at around 6 months. This includes brushing twice daily, maintaining a healthy diet, understanding the importance of limiting sugar exposure, and scheduling regular dental check-ups to ensure your child’s teeth are professionally examined.
c) Damage to the Underlying Permanent Tooth
- Decay in primary teeth can also lead to damage to the developing permanent teeth underneath. Permanent teeth form just below the primary teeth in both the upper and lower jaws.
- If left untreated, decay and bacteria from a primary tooth can spread into the underlying bone where the permanent tooth is developing. This can potentially harm the developing permanent tooth, leading to infection, malformation, discoloration, or permanent staining.
2) Space Maintainers for Permanent Teeth
Permanent teeth develop beneath the primary teeth. When a permanent tooth is ready to erupt, the corresponding primary tooth starts to loosen and eventually falls out, creating space for the permanent tooth. This crucial transition phase from primary to permanent teeth begins around age 6 and lasts until approximately age 12-14.
a) Spaces Between Primary Teeth
You may have noticed spaces between your child’s baby teeth, particularly in the upper and lower front teeth. Being an Orthodontist Mom, very often I have been asked about what can be done about the gaps between the milk teeth by other fellow Moms. My answer to them is that it’s good news if there are gaps between your child’s milk teeth! The spaces between milk teeth are completely normal and necessary. The permanent front teeth that replace the milk teeth are larger, and these gaps provide the space needed in the jaws for the proper accommodation of the larger permanent teeth. Without these spaces, there is a higher risk of crowding and misalignment of the future permanent teeth.
b) Early Loss of Primary Teeth
- Premature Loss of Front Teeth: The primary front teeth, known as incisors and canines, can be lost early due to decay. This premature loss causes the adjacent teeth to drift forward, reducing the space needed for the proper alignment of the permanent front teeth. This can lead to crooked and misaligned permanent teeth.
- Premature Loss of Back Teeth: The primary molars, located at the back of the mouth, normally fall out by age 10-12. Early loss of these teeth, due to decay, can result in space loss because the neighbouring permanent first molar, which erupts around age 6-7, tends to drift into the space left by the missing primary molars. This can cause crowding and insufficient space for future permanent teeth. It is essential to maintain these teeth until they naturally fall out to avoid space loss. Hence the importance of proper oral hygiene for the milk teeth.
3) Chewing and Nutrition
The primary function of teeth is chewing. The front teeth are used for cutting food, while the back teeth are for chewing. Decayed primary teeth can cause pain, making it difficult for children to chew efficiently, leading to indigestion and poor nutrition. Healthy primary teeth are vital for proper chewing, digestion, and overall growth and nutrition. Severely decayed primary teeth that cannot be saved may need to be removed, making chewing difficult until the permanent teeth come in at ages 9-11. Therefore, it is important to care for primary teeth until they naturally fall out.
4) Speech and Phonetics
Teeth play a crucial role in speech and phonetic development. Primary front teeth are necessary for certain labiodental sounds, like “v” which involve the upper front teeth and the lower lip. If these teeth are lost or damaged due to nursing bottle caries, children may struggle with pronunciation. Proper interaction between the teeth, tongue, and lips is essential for developing clear speech and phonetics. Thus primary teeth play an important role in helping the kids achieve this milestone of proper speech and phonetics.
5) Facial and Jaw Development
Primary teeth are critical for proper facial and jaw development. They support normal jaw growth, provide shape to the face, and play an indispensable part in jaw muscle development through functions like chewing, swallowing, and speech.
6) Esthetics and Smile
A healthy set of primary teeth contributes to a child’s adorable smile. Decayed front teeth can lead to low self-esteem if children are teased by peers, affecting their psychosocial development.
These are some of the most important reasons to prioritize the dental health of your child and provide all the care and attention to your child’s primary teeth. We hope that this blog helps you understand the significance of milk teeth. Do write to us if you have any questions related to your child’s primary teeth and overall jaw and facial growth and development. We will definitely try to answer your queries and help you with the relevant solutions for the same.