The Amazing Process of How Our Teeth Develop?
Tooth development is an amazing process that involves a very complex orchestration of adult teeth substituting baby teeth while integrating with continued jaw growth. It is interesting to note this growth and development of our teeth continues for about 21 years of our life and represents about one-quarter of our lifespan. Tooth development is an extremely physical transformation in comparison to the steady growth involving the rest of the body and how it matures. Imagine that our baby teeth and adult teeth all begin like seeds inside our jawbones at birth. These seeds undergo a fascinating metamorphosis and begin growing at just the correct time over the course of several decades. In order for all these teeth to enter into the oral cavity without a significant crowding problem, the jawbones must simultaneously grow to ensure space for all our teeth. The fact that we all have different sized teeth and different sized jaws is yet another amazing variable in this complex process. Here is a quick tooth anatomy lesson. A tooth forms with two elements; the top segment that is above the gum tissue is called the “crown” while the bottom segment that is below the gum tissue is called the “root.” Opposite to how a tree forms, a tooth develops the crown first and the root second. Teeth are composed of four components: enamel, dentin, cementum and nerves (“pulp”). Enamel, which covers the crown of the tooth, is white and is the hardest substance in the body. It covers over the dentin, which comprises the majority of a tooth, and surrounds the nerve chamber in the center of the tooth, termed the “pulp.” The roots are comprised of cementum, a thin layer that interconnects the tooth root to the bone via a periodontal ligament. This ligament is what allows teeth to form and move and undergo movement from braces. Additionally, tooth anatomy requires a brief understanding of the actual types of baby teeth and adult teeth. Our adult teeth consist of front incisors, cuspids (eyeteeth), premolars (middle teeth between cuspids and back molars) and molars. There are 1st and 2nd premolars and a total of 8 adult premolars. There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd molars (wisdom teeth) and a total of 12 adult molars.
Our primary (baby) teeth consist of the same types of teeth as our adult teeth except that we do not form baby premolars or baby 3rd molars. In physiological terms, tooth development all begins as embryonic cells in our jawbones that must contain the four components mentioned above. There are 20 baby embryonic cells and 32 adult embryonic cells that are present and ready to grow into teeth at just the right stage of development once given nature’s signal.
Dr. Scott Harden is a dentist at Fountian View Family Dentistry. He is a resident of Acworth and has practiced in Southwest Cherokee County for over 21 years. He is a Dental Advisor for two nationally renowned dental research companies. Office: (770) 926-0000 Website: FountianViewSmiles.com
Primary (baby) teeth start to form between the sixth and eighth weeks. Adult teeth begin to form in the twentieth week. We are without any teeth for about six months, favorable for breast-feeding. Lower front teeth are first to erupt into the mouth at six months of age. All the remaining baby teeth enter into mouth between six months and about two years old. Between ages two and six, no other teeth erupt into the mouth and this time is devoted to jawbone growth. At age six, our first adult teeth appear, the lower front incisors and the back first molars. The lower front incisors actually push out the baby teeth above them and the first tooth fairy visit begins here. Adult teeth will ultimately push out 20 baby teeth. However, not all adult teeth that erupt into the mouth push teeth out. All adult molars come in behind baby teeth into an area unoccupied by baby teeth. The primary molars are actually pushed out by adult premolars and again the adult molars do not push out any baby teeth. Between the ages of 6 and 21, the 20 baby teeth that are already present, are all replaced by adult teeth below them. The baby teeth all have roots with a preprogrammed signal to resorb or “melt away” as the adult teeth push up from underneath. When the roots become short enough, the baby tooth loses its anchorage and falls out, creating space for the adult tooth to emerge. Ultimately, all the 32 adult teeth enter the oral cavity; 20 of them push out baby teeth and 12 erupt into open areas devoid of baby teeth. The variables of tooth size, jaw size and when teeth erupt into the mouth all influence the final outcome of whether teeth are crowded, have spaces between them or line up correctly. Overall, people’s teeth form amazingly well given the complex growth and development they must undergo.
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