Fall of the Milk Teeth

it is a physiological phenomenon that begins around the age of 6, with the aim of making room for permanent teeth.

In medical jargon, the fall and subsequent replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones is called barter. It is not possible to establish with absolute exactness the ideal age for which a baby tooth should fall out: while some children lose their first tooth at the age of 5, others show all 20 baby teeth still at the age of 7. years.

from milk is a normally painless process, which however can create discomfort when a tooth flaunts to fall out, remaining semi-attached (and dangling) to the gum. At other times, the edge of the baby tooth can be chipped following falls or trauma (an event quite common in children): in such circumstances, the tooth fall may anticipate the standard times, and the exchange process may undergo some temporal variations. .
Although, in physiological situations, the loss of milk teeth does not cause particular pain to the child, the gums may appear swollen and inflamed, especially in the days immediately preceding the eruption of the permanent teeth. If, in these cases, the child accuses a nuisance perception of gingival soreness, it is possible to administer paracetamol (upon medical advice) which, in addition to relieving inflammation, prevents fever.In fact, in some children, the growth of a permanent tooth after the fall of the milk tooth causes a slight temperature rise.

Fall (or exchange) of milk teeth = replacement of the deciduous (or milk) teeth with the permanent one

Milk teeth

The milk teeth, all destined to fall, are divided as follows for each dental SEMIARCATA:

2 incisors (1 central + 1 lateral)
1 canine
2 molars (called "first" and "second" molars respectively)

Premolars and wisdom teeth are absent in the milk dentition

Permanent teeth

The permanent teeth replace the milk teeth after the fall, and are divided as follows for each dental half-arch:

2 incisors (1 central + 1 lateral)
1 canine
2 premolars
3 molars (first, second and third)

Even if destined to fall, milk teeth still have a fundamental task: they allow effective chewing and equally adequate phonation, guide the permanent teeth in their correct position and maintain adequate space for the subsequent development of "mature" teeth.
Although the frequency and the order of fall of deciduous teeth are not constant parameters in all children, approximately, it is possible to state that milk teeth tend to fall in the order in which they arose. The lower central incisors arise first; subsequently, the two upper central incisors erupt, the first molars, the canines, the second molars and so on.
The reason is not yet clear, but medical statistics show that tooth loss begins earlier in females than in males.

and the loss of milk teeth, the child is much more exposed to the risk of infectious and cold diseases. This correlation is soon explained and should not be surprising: in this precise phase of development, the child makes numerous progress, such as perfecting language, being together with adults, dressing alone, brushing his teeth without asking for help, etc. Seen through the eyes of a child, these behaviors - considered habitual for the adult - require exaggerated effort, such as to severely reduce the immune system and make it susceptible to infections.

... milk teeth fall out → milk teeth must be surgically extracted to avoid future structural anomalies of the teeth (eg.crooked teeth)

... the loss of milk teeth starts early → it is not uncommon for teeth to fall early (not physiological) due to cariogenic processes or trauma. In such circumstances, the permanent teeth that will be born tend to undergo structural alterations

... milk teeth fall out at a later age (compared to normal) and are affected by inflammation or other pathologies → more likely that permanent teeth will grow with stains on the enamel

... the milk teeth have fallen out but the permanent teeth do not grow → the phenomenon (infrequent) is called ankylosis: the permanent teeth are trapped inside the bone, consequently they cannot erupt. In this case, it is often required a surgical intervention

... a milk tooth becomes decayed → filling of caries is necessary. In fact, an untreated deciduous tooth can anticipate the fall of the tooth, causing a future misalignment of the teeth

... if a permanent tooth erupts before the fall of the deciduous counterpart → surgical extraction of the milk tooth is recommended if the fall does not occur within three months of the eruption of the permanent tooth

... if the permanent teeth tend to decay easily → immediately after the milk teeth have fallen and the subsequent replacement with permanent teeth, it is possible to prevent caries with proper daily dental hygiene. To obtain further coverage from cariogenic processes, dental sealing is recommended, a procedure that consists in the application of a special resin on the tooth, in order to prevent the formation of caries. The sealing of the teeth is particularly suitable for the molars, as they are more exposed to the risk of caries due to the particular "grooved" structural conformation which favors the accumulation of plaque and tartar on the chewing side of the tooth.

... if a baby tooth tends to fall out but does not come off within 15 days → the child can be encouraged to gently move the tooth to make it easier to fall

Keeping milk teeth in full health is essential to allow the physiological fall of the teeth in the right time, and to promote the correct development of permanent teeth.