Baby teeth in adults

Teeth usually start changing at the age of 5-6, and by the age of 14-16 the entire jaw is “populated” by adult teeth, with which a person will live to old age. It should be noted that evolutionary processes force baby teeth to fall out earlier and earlier, but baby teeth are found in adults and the elderly. Why?

Permanent teeth are somewhat different from baby teeth. The latter have the same outlines as permanent teeth, but they are smaller and shorter, and only twenty of them grow.

The shelf life of baby teeth is about 2-3 years, so over time the roots begin to dissolve, and the crowns of the molars press on them.

Sometimes the embryos of permanent teeth are delayed in formation, so the roots of baby teeth are absorbed under the influence of neighboring ones. If this does not happen, there is a chance that the baby tooth will remain later. The rudiments of permanent teeth may be absent due to hereditary reasons, this also happens due to a disturbed metabolism, disorders in the internal secretion, due to injuries or osteomyelitis. One of the reasons for the death of emerging permanent teeth is inflammation in baby teeth, for example, periodontitis.

It happens that growing permanent teeth are too deeply immersed in the jaw and do not touch the roots of the baby predecessors. This happens when the tooth is in the wrong position or there is not enough space. As a result, baby teeth may remain in adults. After all, nothing interferes with their existence.

What to do if you still have baby teeth?

Problems will definitely arise in this case:

• baby teeth are more vulnerable to caries;
• they interfere with the development of permanent teeth;
• lead to distortions in the dental row;
• spoil the smile.

However, specialists do not always advise immediately removing baby teeth. In this case, everything is individual, and a dentist's consultation will dot the i's.

As a rule, if a baby tooth is well preserved, doctors recommend not to remove it. There is a risk that the permanent tooth in place of the baby tooth will never erupt.

A dental X-ray will help to find out whether a permanent tooth has begun to emerge under the baby tooth, and whether the process of root resorption has begun. If the crown of the permanent tooth has not appeared, while the roots of the baby tooth are not dissolving, and the tooth itself looks quite healthy, it will be recommended to leave it. Sometimes even a permanent tooth that has begun to emerge has no chance of erupting, then the baby tooth is left.

If a baby tooth in an adult interferes with the development of the others, or looks unsightly, you should still not touch it without a preliminary X-ray. Only those baby teeth whose roots have resorbed, and they themselves demonstrate an increased degree of mobility, are recommended for removal. In any case, you need to make an appointment with a dentist, and if the permanent tooth does not grow, carry out prosthetics of the tooth in this place.