What are the differences between my toddler’s milk teeth and my permanent teeth?

Our teeth perform a fantastic job without us even noticing the amount of force we subject them to when chewing food. Teeth have three main functions:

1. help us eat foods,
2. help us form words,
3. shapes our facial features

When we lose our teeth, we can notice immediately how these three functions are affected. For this reason, we should take good care of our teeth. Our tooth develops very differently from the toddler years until the permanent teeth come in. In this article, we will discuss the differences between milk and permanent teeth.

With the growth of the body, the jaw grows bigger. As a child grows, these baby teeth or “milk teeth” are eventually replaced by permanent teeth. A child has 20 baby teeth. When all of a child`s permanent teeth have emerged, the chewing force becomes stronger, enabling them to eat different types of food. As children grow older, they will eventually have about 32 permanent teeth.

Here are the critical differences between milk teeth and permanent teeth:

1. All of the milk teeth emerge at age two to three.
2. The first noticeable difference between milk teeth and permanent teeth is the size. They are smaller than the permanent teeth and are only around for a few years.
3. The color of milk teeth is mostly white, while permanent teeth have a yellowish tint.
4. The enamel and dentin layers are much thinner in milk teeth. For this reason, caries or tooth decay in children tend to progress much quicker than adults.
5. The roots of milk teeth are often shorter and thinner due to their temporary nature since they will eventually fall out.
6. Milk teeth are meant to be temporary until replaced by permanent teeth starting around age 6.

Milk teeth will transition into permanent teeth only once. For this reason, it is essential to take good care of your child’s permanent teeth once they start to come in. When the permanent teeth become large enough, the milk teeth naturally begin to fall out. By roughly age 12, all of the milk teeth are replaced by 28 permanent teeth. During this transition phase, it is still essential to take good care of your child’s teeth. This will help them feel confident and stay healthy.

Ready for your child or your next appointment, call California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 to make your next appointment.