Teething is the biological process that leads to the vertical growth of preformed dental elements, up to their complete eruption and definitive arrest of growth. The mineralization of the teeth continues even after this phase, through the integration of the ions contained in the saliva and the loss of the same due to the acids produced by the bacterial plaque.
Deciduous dentition
See also: baby's teething and "milk" teeth
Human dentition is made up of various phases, the first of which begins already during embryonic life (around the 7th week of pregnancy). In this way, at birth the newborn already presents the "sketches" of the deciduous and permanent teeth, both hidden inside the dental alveoli. Generally the appearance of the first "milk" (deciduous) teeth begins around 6-7 months of life, but each child is a case in itself: there are those who are born with a lower central incisor, those who have to wait a long time before seeing their first teeth appear, those who are particularly precocious in this respect and so on.In any case, the first to enter the scene are the incisors (the lower ones before the upper ones and the middle ones before the laterals).
Gradually, the temporary dentition is enriched with new elements, until it is completed (20 teeth in all) around 18/24 months.
The eruption of the deciduous elements can cause some discomfort to the child, which tends to manifest with crying and restlessness; it also tends to drool more due to the increased secretion of saliva, which among other things softens the stool. biting can be appeased through the gnawing of the special rubber rings (refrigerated but not frozen) or foods of a fairly hard consistency without sugar (beware of the danger of suffocation). The common beliefs on the association between teething and various types of disorders, such as fever, skin rash, diarrhea, convulsions, bronchitis, etc.
Permanent dentition
Around 6-7 years of age, the deciduous teeth begin to give way to the permanent one, which if treated with impeccable oral hygiene in most cases remains in place until the death of the individual.
Permanent dentition begins with the eruption of the first definitive molar (immediately behind the second deciduous molar); followed by the other permanent teeth - replacing the corresponding deciduous elements - in the same order in which their predecessors appeared (generally before those of the mandible and then those of the upper jaw).
In humans, the permanent dentition is made up of 32 teeth: on each arch there are 4 incisors for cutting, 2 canines for tearing and tearing, 6 molars and 4 premolars for shredding and grinding. The definitive teeth are distinguished from the "milk" ones. due to the yellowish-white color instead of bluish-white; they are also less rounded, less smooth and larger. Since the enamel of the new teeth is not yet completely mineralized, it is extremely vulnerable to acid attack, therefore to caries. Therefore, in the period good oral hygiene and adequate fluoridation are of great importance during the change of the dentition and before the hardening of the teeth. Appropriate toothpastes (richer in fluoride than those for first and second childhood) and any medicinal products will obviously be chosen with the advice of the dentist.
Dental map
1) Third molar (wisdom tooth)
2) Second molar (12-year molar)
3) First molar (6-year molar)
4) Second premolar (2nd bicuspid)
5) First premolar (1st bicuspid)
6) Canine (cusp)
7) Lateral incisor
8) Central incisor
9) Central incisor
10) Lateral incisor
11) Canine (cusp)
12) First premolar (1st bicuspid)
13) Second premolar (2nd bicuspid)
14) First molar (6-year molar)
15) Second molar (12-year molar)
16) Third molar (wisdom tooth)
17) Third molar (wisdom tooth)
18) Second molar (12-year molar)
19) First molar (6-year molar)
20) Second premolar (2nd bicuspid)
21) First premolar (1st bicuspid)
22) Canine (Cusp)
23) Lateral incisor
24) Central incisor
25) Central incisor
26) Lateral incisor
27) Canine (cusp)
28) First premolar (1st bicuspid)
29) Second premolar (2nd bicuspid)
60) First molar (6-year molar)
31) Second molar (12-year molar)
32) Third molar (wisdom tooth)
Defects of the dentition
Although rarely, various anomalies can be found in the dentition:
- Numerical dental anomalies
- number anomalies by default
- hypodontia: congenital absence of one or more teeth
- anodontia (or anodontia): congenital complete absence of teeth
- edentulism (or edentulism): lack of teeth which can be partial or total
- dental (or dental) agenesis: congenital absence of the dental germ of one or more teeth
- number anomalies by default
- anomalies of number by excess or hyperodontics: they have surplus teeth whose shape can correspond to that of a tooth of the normal series, and will take the name of additional tooth, or have a completely irregular shape and according to the morphology be classified into: conoids, tuberculates, infundiboliforms. The mesiodens is the most frequent and arises in most cases between the central incisors, frequently causing complications of an orthodontic nature.
In old age, and sometimes even in adulthood, permanent dentition can lose one or more elements due to various diseases, the most frequent of which is called pyorrhea or periodontitis.
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