Let's
take a look at a tooth - the part
that can be seen in the mouth, is
the crown and the part not seen
and buried in the bony socket of
the jaw firmly enclosed is the root.
The
crown of the tooth is covered with
the enamel, one of the hardest natural
substances known.
Dentin,
which lies just under enamel forms,
the bulk of the tooth. It is yellowish
and is not as hard as enamel.
Pulp
is the soft tissue that fills the
chamber of the center of the tooth
and the canals that extends down
the roots of the tooth. It contains
nerves and blood vessels. Cementum
- a thin bone like tissue covers
and protects the tooth root.
There
are twenty teeth, which can be seen,
in a baby's mouth
v
8
incisors
v
4
canines
v
8
molars; they are called as
milk teeth or more scientifically
deciduous teeth.
The
Milk Tooth - the VIP
Tooth
decay in children is neglected because
of the misconception that milk teeth
are not important since "they
are going to fall out anyway."
The
20 primary teeth are designed to
function during the childhood years.
Some of them until the child is
10 or 12 years old - and they have
several important jobs to do. Primary
teeth are foundation teeth. They
are in fact as important as the
permanent teeth for the following
reasons:
v
The
baby teeth help in chewing
and digestion - physical
and partial chemical digestion
before the food is chemically
digested by the gastric
juices.
v
The
baby teeth are necessary
for speech development e.g.
the words th, f, and lisping
sounds require front teeth
to pronounce.
v
Building
the Childs confidence. The
baby teeth help in appearance
or aesthetics. Without the
front teeth, peers, leading
to reluctance to smile,
mix with others and make
new friends, could tease
the child.
v
Probably
the most important function
of the baby teeth is to
maintain sufficient space
for the adult (permanent)
teeth to erupt into the
correct position. The first
adult tooth (first molar
teeth) starts developing
when the fetus is 7-8 months
in utero (in the mother's
womb) and will continue
to develop as the child
grows. It finally erupts
in the mouth from the age
of 6. The primary teeth
are therefore very necessary
in guiding these adult teeth
into the correct straight
position.
AND DON'T FORGET "HEALTHY,
DECAY FREE PRIMARY TEETH CREATE
A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PERMANENT
TEETH"
