The presence of milk teeth in adults cannot be attributed to the realm of fantasy or humor. This phenomenon can sometimes be encountered in dental practice. What contributes to the fact that a baby tooth can be preserved in adults and what to do with such a childhood “relic”?
Echo of childhood
Most people believe that baby teeth are closely associated with a touching and carefree childhood. It’s not for nothing that James Barry, a Scottish writer, in his fairy tale about Peter Pan - a boy who wants to always be young and not grow up - specifically describes that there were many milk pearl teeth in his mouth, and none of them had fallen out yet. Replacing baby teeth with permanent ones can be considered the same step into adulthood as the first room at school and the first two.
Teeth begin to change at about 5-6 years of age, and this process ends at about 12-14 years. Currently, according to the observations of many doctors, the replacement of baby teeth with permanent ones occurs in younger children than happened in past decades. But it also happens that baby teeth can be preserved in adults. Such cases can be encountered at 20, 30, and sometimes at 50 years of age. Why does this happen and what to do in such a situation?
Milk teeth and their features
Temporary and permanent teeth have certain differences in structure. The shape of baby teeth is the same as in molars (permanent), but their size is much smaller, the roots are shorter, and the number is different - there are only 20 of them versus 32 permanent teeth (including wisdom teeth). “Children’s” teeth are characterized by a short service life: their roots dissolve over time (as dentists say, “resorb”) approximately 2-3 years after they are fully formed. This process begins with the area touched by the crowns of the permanent teeth growing underneath them.
But it happens that for one reason or another the formation of the rudiments of permanent teeth does not occur. In this case, the roots of baby teeth are more often resorbed as a result of the influence of the rudiments of permanent adjacent teeth. But it happens that this does not happen and “children’s” teeth can then remain in adults - dentists call them persistent (translated from Latin persistere - to remain, to remain).
Who are the enemies of implants?
Smoking reduces the lifespan of artificial teeth most significantly. Natural teeth are protected from tobacco aggression by the circular ligament and the mucous membrane attached to it, which acts as a barrier. Implants do not have such protection.
They also do not have periodontal tissue (the connective tissue surrounding the tooth), due to which their natural teeth feel pain when biting into hard food. You can bite through barbed wire with the implant without feeling any discomfort. Therefore, a person who has several implants in his mouth can periodically chew through bones, ribs, small pebbles that have fallen into food, etc. If this is done regularly, even the titanium from which they are made can collapse over time.
Why may there be no rudiments of permanent teeth?
There are a variety of reasons that contribute to the absence of permanent tooth buds. These include hereditary characteristics, osteomyelitis of the jaws and their traumatic lesions, metabolic disorders, pathology of the endocrine glands. In addition, acute and chronic inflammation of baby teeth, in particular, untreated periodontitis in a timely manner, can also damage the rudiments of permanent teeth and contribute to their death.
Sometimes it happens that the rudiments of permanent teeth are formed, but can lie quite deep without touching the roots of milk teeth. This may occur due to the incorrect position of the permanent tooth or lack of space. In such cases, baby teeth can also be found in adults.
Why do fillings fall out?
The filling, no matter what material it is made of, is not without drawbacks. Essentially, it is glue, which in different layers has a different structure and degree of condensation. Therefore, any temperature difference in the mouth causes a change in its volume. Because of this, microcracks occur, which eventually destroy the filling.
Today, when a tooth is destroyed, dentists prefer to use inlays (prostheses shaped like the missing part of the tooth). They are made on multi-axis specialized machines (on the same Triumfus) from a solid block of zirconium dioxide or lithium disilicate, which is 2 times stronger than tooth enamel (the strongest material in the body). This design can be installed even on a completely destroyed tooth, of which only one root remains (provided that there are no cracks, remnants of old pins or inflammation in it). Using modern digital methods, this can be done in the presence of the patient in 30–40 minutes.
Or maybe a filling would be better? Debunking myths about crowns Read more
Do adults need to have their baby teeth removed?
Undoubtedly, baby teeth can often cause problems in adults. Firstly, their service life is short, which is why their resistance to caries is much lower compared to permanent ones. Secondly, teeth that do not fall out on time can interfere with the growth of permanent teeth and also cause them to be incorrectly positioned. But this does not mean that if a baby tooth is found in an adult, it must be removed. Everything is individual and depends on the specific situation. Very often, it is recommended to leave baby teeth in adults that are well preserved so that they last as long as they can. After all, sometimes it happens that permanent teeth may never appear in their place.
In any case, what to do with a baby tooth in adults needs to be decided after an X-ray examination is carried out, which will help determine the presence or absence of the rudiments of an unerupted permanent tooth, as well as whether the process of resorption of the baby tooth root is ongoing. If the rudiments are not found and the roots of a baby tooth have not been reabsorbed, and it looks aesthetically pleasing and immobile, then such a baby tooth should not be removed. The same applies to cases where it is X-ray proven that the position of the permanent tooth is such that even after removing the milk tooth, it will not be able to erupt. However, in this case it is better to consult an orthodontist.
Description and symptoms of the problem
The germ of a retention tooth is located in the bone, but its further growth does not occur for a number of specific reasons. This phenomenon is considered anomalous if the element has not erupted within two years from the due date.
In the partial form of the pathology, part of the crown is located above the gum or its outline is visible through the gum tissue. With complete retention, both the crown and root remain completely hidden. Typically, this problem affects the incisors, canines and the outermost “eights”. To clarify the position and shape, an x-ray examination is often required.
Typically, patients note an increase in body temperature and general malaise during teething, swelling and a change in the shade of the mucous membrane. In addition, if the element is fully formed in the bone tissue, but does not appear on the surface, pronounced pain may occur (most often it is monotonous). This indicates that the tooth is pressing on the roots of its neighbors. In some situations, facial numbness is also noted, which is caused by pressure on the nerve endings. It is also worth noting that in some cases the pathology does not provoke the appearance of any obvious symptoms.
What to do if a baby tooth can cause problems?
If you are not satisfied with the aesthetics of a baby tooth or it is mobile, you still need to start with an x-ray examination. Having discovered on an x-ray that there are no rudiments of a permanent tooth, and the roots of a baby tooth have been reabsorbed, and mobility of the 3rd - 4th degree is observed (the tooth is very mobile), then it needs to be removed and then a decision must be made about what type of prosthetics to use in this case. case.
If you are not satisfied with the appearance of the tooth, you also need to use an x-ray to determine the condition of the roots of the baby tooth and the rudiments of the permanent tooth. Further, the decision must be made individually in a specific case. It depends on the age of the patient, as well as on the place of the baby tooth in the dentition. If there are no rudiments and the roots of a baby tooth are present, a veneer can be installed on it or the tooth can be restored, making it invisible in the dentition. Those who want to completely transform their smile will benefit from Lumineers.
If there are rudiments of a permanent tooth, you need to estimate how long it will take before erupting and decide to remove the baby tooth and pull out the permanent one.
Although the presence of baby teeth in adults can be considered an anomaly, this is not a reason to part with them - after all, very often they can serve you for many years. But sometimes it happens that such “greetings from childhood” can become an obstacle to the eruption of a permanent tooth. Therefore, if you discover that you have a baby tooth, be sure to take an x-ray and consult a specialist.
Treatment
At an early age, treatment is aimed at actively stimulating proper growth and formation of teeth, as well as diagnosing and preventing their deformation.
Once the main 7 permanent teeth have erupted, you can begin to think about replacing missing ones. In most cases, such treatment is preceded by special preparation carried out by the orthodontist, and then subsequent procedures to restore the missing tooth.
Treatment methods:
- Dental prosthetics using metal-plastic or zirconium oxide-based crowns;
- Adhesive bridge;
- Dental implantation;
For example, with symmetrical defects (no fangs), the doctor may suggest moving the nearest teeth in place of the missing ones to replace them. It is possible to transform nearby teeth (premolars) into fangs by applying a special photopolymer-based material to them. But, in the field of dental treatment, this is aerobatics, which is not accessible to everyone. And now we are not talking about the financial situation, you also need to find an experienced doctor, namely a restorative orthodontist.
Removable prosthetics and implants will help in the fight against edentia
In case of complete secondary adentia (when teeth are completely missing), treatment methods can only be removable prosthetics or, in some cases, installation of implants. Partial secondary adentia can be treated by so-called “ orthodontic preparation ”, in simple terms - prosthetics.
How can you avoid age-related changes with the help of modern dentistry?
Even though our teeth age along with the rest of our bodies over the years, this does not mean that it is impossible to maintain an attractive and healthy smile in old age. Rule number one is good daily hygiene. Rule number two is regular preventive visits to the dentist. Professional cleaning will help remove hard plaque and prevent the development of caries, and the remineralization procedure improves the condition of the enamel. Laser and physical therapy are now actively used to strengthen gums, therefore, if you have problems with periodontal disease, it is recommended not only to visit a specialized specialist, but also to monitor the health of your gums at home. Rule number three is a balanced and healthy diet, coupled with taking vitamin complexes. This will help not only the teeth and oral cavity, but also other systems of the body.
Publisher: Expert magazine about dentistry Startsmile.ru
Author of the material: Yaroslav Ikonnikov
How tooth loss affects facial contours
Loss of teeth, especially complete ones, immediately affects a person’s appearance. Firstly, the height of the lower third of the face decreases due to the fact that the support of the lower jaw by the teeth is lost and the jaw moves back in the joint area, and forward and upward in the chin area.
The result is a so-called “senile face” - the distance between the tip of the nose and the top of the chin decreases. Due to this, the natural folds of the face deepen, the corners of the mouth droop, the red border of the lips decreases in width due to their displacement towards the oral cavity.
Losing teeth causes a decrease in the tone of facial muscles, the cheeks and chin tissues sag. Visually, the face looks more mature. Dental restoration sets the lower jaw in the correct position, provides support to soft tissues, and restores the smile. As a result, facial rejuvenation occurs, patients feel confident, and their quality of life improves significantly.
These changes are also possible with partial loss of teeth.
Especially in the case of chewing teeth. I have patients (women) who turned to a cosmetologist with a desire to improve their facial contours and eliminate sagging cheeks. In response to this, the doctor strongly recommends that the missing chewing teeth be restored first to provide soft tissue support and only then begins his own procedures. Because only in this case we get the most complete and long-lasting effect.
