Prevention of dental problems should ideally start during pregnancy. The pregnant woman should have wholesome and nutritious diet that would help in proper development of the growing foetus. The expectant mother should also have a diet that is rich in calcium to ensure the healthy development of the baby's bones and teeth. Good sources of calcium are cheese, milk, yogurt, leafy vegetables and dairy products. Good diet during pregnancy ensures to healthy teeth and bones in the child.
Can medicines taken during pregnancy
affect the teeth?
There are certain medicines and antibiotics that should be avoided during
pregnancy. These drugs can cause defective development of the developing
foetus. Tetracycline antibiotics when consumed by pregnant women cause
permanent brownish grey staining of the child's teeth. Thus self-medication
should be avoided during pregnancy and medicines taken after consultation
with the physician.
At what age should I first consult
the dentist?
It is a good idea to consult the dentist by six months of age when the
first milk teeth are expected to emerge into the oral cavity. Regular
visits to the dentist every 6 months will help in giving adequate preventive
care to the child that will aid in preventing dental decay. If there
are any cavities it is good to undertake the treatment at an early stage.
These regular visits are advised even if you think the baby's teeth
are healthy. These regular visits also helps the child get used to the
idea of visiting the dentist before he needs any treatment to be administered.
What are milk teeth?
Humans have two sets of teeth. The teeth that appear first are called
the milk teeth or deciduous dentition or the primary teeth. These teeth
are later shed off and are replaced by permanent set of teeth called
the permanent dentition.
Why are the milk teeth called so?
Milk teeth are called so due to their white color which resembles the
color of milk. The milk teeth are whiter than the permanent teeth which
replace them. The refractive index of milk teeth is similar to that
of milk and hence they are called so.
What age do the teeth start appearing?
The milk teeth start appearing at 6 months of age. It is quite normal
for them to erupt a few months earlier or later. The first milk teeth
to appear is the lower front tooth called the lower central incisor.
However the order of eruption of different teeth may vary in some children.
The diagram below gives the usual order of appearance of the milk teeth.
However the order may differ in some children.
Is it normal for the teeth to erupt
late?
It is quite normal for the teeth to erupt 3-6 months later than the
expected time. However delay beyond 6 months may be an indication that
you should consult your dentist. The dentist would try and determine
the cause of the delay.
What are natal and neonatal teeth?
Very rarely we come across babies who are born with one or more teeth.
Teeth that are seen at birth are called natal teeth while teeth that
appear within a month of birth are called neonatal teeth. These teeth
are retained unless they are very mobile or pose major problems in nursing.
At what age do the milk teeth fall
off?
All the milk teeth erupt by 3 years of age. The milk teeth are shed
from 6 years onwards till about 10 years of age. The permanent teeth
appear by 6 years of age. Between the ages of 6 - 9 years the child
has some milk teeth as well as some permanent teeth This period is called
the mixed dentition period. By about 12 years all the milk teeth should
be shed off and replaced by the permanent teeth.
Why do milk teeth become mobile?
As the permanent teeth start emerging they wear off the roots of the
milk teeth. Thus the milk teeth loose their support in the bone and
become mobile. The milk teeth are ultimately shed off and are replaced
by the permanent teeth.
Are spaces between teeth normal in
children?
It is normal to find the milk teeth in children to be spaced. These
spaces between the teeth help later in accommodating the bigger permanent
teeth. Thus absence of spaces between the milk teetin children may be
a fore warning that the child may not have adequate space to accommodate
the bigger permanent teeth which may erupt in a crowded arrangement.
At what age do the permanent teeth
start appearing?
The permanent teeth start erupting by about 6 years of age. Most of
the permanent teeth erupt by 12 years of age except the third molars
or the wisdom teeth, which erupt any time between 18 -25 years of age.
Is it normal to have extra teeth?
Sometimes we do come across children who have an extra tooth or teeth.
These are called supernumerary teeth. These extra teeth may appear as
normal looking teeth or may be odd shaped. An example of extra teeth
is a mesiodens that may occur as a cone shaped tooth in the midline
between the two upper incisors. The presence of extra teeth cannot be
considered normal as they upset the normal dental balance. Thus they
may have to be extracted followed by orthodontic treatment.
Can teeth be missing?
Missing teeth are also common. The tooth that is most frequently missing
is the upper lateral incisor. The wisdom tooth may also be frequently
missing. Missing teeth pose the problem of spacing between teeth.
Is it normal to have teeth of different
sizes and shapes?
Teeth vary slightly from person to person in their shape and size. However
it not uncommon to find teeth that are odd shaped or sized. Some of
these teeth may be reshaped by the dentist to resemble normal teeth.
Some may require a crown over them to make them look more normal.
What are mammelons?
The cutting edge of the newly emerged front permanent teeth (incisors)
are not even. They show elevations called mammelons that correspond
to their developmental lobes. These in due course wear off to form a
flat cutting edge.
What is the ugly duckling stage?
Ugly duckling stage is a transient phase during childhood when we find
a very large space or diastema in the middle between the two upper incisors,
which can also be flaring. This occurs due to pressures from adjacent
erupting teeth. This stage corrects on its own and does not require
any orthodontic intervention.
