Change of teeth in children

The change of teeth in children is a process that begins in 5-6 years and lasts until adolescence. All 20 milk teeth, which erupted in the first years of life, gradually change to permanent, and in addition, 8 more teeth grow - the first and second molars (the so-called "sixes" and "seven").

What teeth change first in children? On average, the baby's first milk tooth drops out at the age of 5-6, although there may be slight shifts in one direction or the other. First, the central incisors of the lower and then the upper jaw are replaced . Then lateral incisors change (in 6-8 years in the lower jaw and in 7-9 in the upper jaw ). Fangs and premolars change somewhat later - at 9-12 years. Also at 6-7 years new teeth are erupted - the first molars ("sixes"), and by the age of 12-13 second molars grow. Third molars (or wisdom teeth) erupt much later - in 17-20 years (and sometimes do not erupt at all).

What if the child lags behind the age norms and his teeth change later than their peers? In principle, there is nothing wrong with this, because the change of teeth in children is quite a complicated process, depending on many factors, including heredity and health level (in a person often sick or suffering from serious chronic diseases of the child, the teeth can change much later). However, if the teeth change too early or, conversely, late, this is an occasion to visit a doctor. With a high degree of probability, there is nothing serious about the child, but it is absolutely necessary to make sure there are no problems!

Changing teeth in children is a physiological process that does not require special treatment and "fattening" the toothless child with vitamins and other utilities. However, it will not hurt to revise the child's diet and try to include in it more dishes rich in calcium (milk porridge, cottage cheese, green vegetables). If the child had problems with milk teeth (demineralization areas, weak enamel, caries), then after consultation with a pediatrician and a dentist, you can additionally drink a calcium preparation in combination with vitamin D.

When children's teeth change, the main thing that needs to be paid attention is thorough hygienic care for the oral cavity, as well as the condition of the baby's teeth. The fact is that only erupted permanent teeth can not yet boast of too strong enamel, so if in some milk tooth there is untreated caries, then it can strike and permanent teeth. Therefore, visits to the dentist with regularity once every six months should become the norm. With regard to care - you need to brush your teeth twice a day, if necessary, use dental floss and special mouthwash.

The change of teeth in children often causes a lot of questions from parents. For example, sometimes permanent teeth, only if erupted, grow crooked. In this case, it is necessary not to delay visiting a child's orthodontist who will help assess the situation and will prompt when it is enough to just wait and when to take action. In this case, you should not wait until 7-8-10 years (as sometimes acquaintances and relatives advise, referring to their experience), because the sooner you start to struggle with the problem, the faster the child will forget about its existence.

It is necessary to ensure that all milk teeth fall out in time. Often there are situations where a milk tooth has already erupted permanent, which can grow crookedly or completely turn to the side. In this case, it is necessary to remove the interfering milk tooth to avoid problems with the new one.

If the milk tooth has fallen out, but in its place for a long time does not appear permanent, it is necessary to visit the orthodontist, who will most likely prescribe X-ray diagnostics in order to understand if there are rudiments of permanent teeth in the jaw. Sometimes it happens that they are not laid, and then it is necessary to decide the issue of prosthetics, so that there is no empty space in the mouth.

Also it is worth to visit the dentist, when the baby will cut through the first molars (about 6-7 years). It is the "six" caries that affects most often - because of age, children do not clean them up too carefully, and the enamel in only the erupted teeth is very weak (and remains so for several years), so bacteria can destroy it quickly enough and lead to the onset of disease . However, progress does not stand still, and such a procedure as fissure sealing, will prevent problems and will be an excellent prevention of caries. Carry out this procedure, which is the lubrication of the chewing surface of the teeth with a special paste that solidifies and "seals" the tooth, as soon as all the first molars have completely erupted.