Your child’s tiny teeth are what makes their smile cute. You may refer to your child’s initial teeth as milk teeth, but the formal name is deciduous teeth. Regardless of what we call them, milk teeth falling are a milestone. However, you may have wondered all this time, why do they fall at all? Well, it’s a necessary step in your child’s growth. Hence, let’s discuss milk teeth and why they fall out.
More About Milk Teeth:
Here are a few interesting facts about milk teeth:
. Milk Teeth are present in the jaws at birth. However, they start to emerge slowly, and they won’t make an appearance until your kid is at least five months old. The official term for their teeth emerging from the surface is an eruption.
.Over the three years following “eruption,” a complete set of 20 milk teeth will emerge; this will help your child to chow down their favorite snacks for years to come.
. Around the age of six, your child gets their first visit from a tooth fairy. These visits continue until your child enters their teens. Usually, by the age of 12, your child will have a whole adult set of teeth except wisdom teeth.
. The incisors are first to make an appearance at the scene, usually when your child is around six months old. The last teeth to join the crew are second molars around the age of 25 to 33 months.
. Milk teeth usually start to wither away in the order of their appearance. Hence, incisors fall out first, and the second molars are the last ones to leave the scene.
Why Do They Fall Out?
Milk teeth serve their chewing function well, so why do milk teeth start to fall? It turns out that the real purpose of milk teeth is to function as a placeholder. They hold the place for bigger, stronger, and permanent teeth. These “adult teeth” have been developing under the roots of the child’s milk teeth. With time the roots of milk teeth fade and die out. Hence, the milk teeth become loose and are pushed out by the adult teeth.
The jaw is also growing with time, so initially, it couldn’t support a complete set of adult teeth., You can also notice jaw growth by increasing gaps between milk teeth. Once the jaw is large enough to house all the adult teeth, it’s game over for milk teeth.
Caring For Milk Teeth:
Although milk teeth are temporary, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage good oral care for them. Cavities can still develop in milk teeth, and the infection can spread to affect the gums. Moreover, cavities can result in premature fall out of milk teeth. This means that there won’t be enough space for the surfacing of adult teeth, leading to overcrowding.
However, with a good dentist’s help and advice, this whole process will go out in a breeze. Hence rely on skilled dentists like Brookshire Family Dental for all oral needs. You can call us at 281-934-1010 to learn more about how we can help.