Humans are born completely toothless and remain that way for the first few months of life. Every parent knows that teething in children is often accompanied by some discomfort, which is no surprise considering that new, hard, and strong structures—teeth—are emerging in their small jaws.
The surface layer of the tooth, enamel, is the strongest structure in the human body! Typically, humans have twenty baby teeth and thirty-two permanent teeth. But have you ever wondered where all these teeth are before they erupt and become visible in the jaw?
The development of teeth begins in the mother’s womb, at the same time when the first organs are forming. Around the sixth week of the fetal development, a thickened tissue appears in the mouth, from which tooth buds are formed.
A tooth bud is the primary substance of a tooth, which then develops into different shapes and forms. This is why all our teeth are not the same size and shape; they take on their specific forms according to their function. For example, front teeth are designed for cutting and biting food, while back teeth are for grinding and chewing.
The development of baby teeth is completed by the time a child is born, after which they remain “hidden” within the jaw. The eruption of the first baby teeth is expected between the fourth and the seventh month of a child’s life, and the first teeth usually begin to fall out around the age of six. The transition from baby to permanent teeth is made possible by the ability of permanent teeth to fight for their place in the jaw when the time comes. They do this by pushing and shortening the root of the baby tooth until it becomes loose and falls out.
This is why the process of losing baby teeth is not very painful. Sometimes, however, the development of permanent teeth during the fetal stage can fail to occur. In such cases, baby teeth may remain in the jaw permanently because there is no permanent tooth bud that would cause their loss.
But why can’t we keep baby teeth for our entire lives?
Although they emerge first because their size suits the small jaws of children, baby teeth lose their function as we grow and develop. As adults, we need larger and stronger permanent teeth to chew greater quantities of tougher food. Despite remaining hidden in the jaw until around age six, when the first permanent tooth typically emerges, these teeth begin developing during the fetal stage. Their development continues after birth and is only fully completed with wisdom teeth, which are fully developed around the age of 13.
With age, tooth structure becomes worn. Although modern dentistry makes great efforts to preserve every tooth, many people lose their teeth over time and need to replace them with prosthetics such as dentures, bridges, or implants. With advances in science, the question arises: would it be possible to “grow” a third set of teeth to replace those lost in old age?
For now, this remains an experiment in the laboratory. For our jaws, which already hold a treasure trove of fifty-two teeth, this may still be too much! Therefore, it’s very important to maintain good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist to ensure your teeth last as long as possible.
And if you’re tempted to blame it all on “bad teeth,” we’re here to remind you that, in 2015, teeth estimated to be one hundred thousand years old were discovered in a cave in China!
