“The
Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”
By
Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield
Milk
Teeth….What’s That All About?
Hello again, I hope that you are
well. Another busy month dashing
about. My team and I went to a two day
customer care/ team and personal development conference three weeks ago. Less than two weeks ago I was I Florida
continuing my dental laser education.
Well, “If you’re not growing anywhere you’re not going anywhere”
apparently. Always looking for better.
Back At The BBC
Last Sunday I was at BBC Radio
Humberside. I was invited to go on the
Sally Fairfax Show. It was a bout a new
feature when kids send in questions to be answered. It was actually Sally’s 7 years old son who
asked the question “ why do we have milk teeth and why do they fall out?”
I was amused whilst driving into Hull
when a listener said it was because children would look stupid with big
teeth. I was asked to give a definitive
answer. Well I’m not sure I did that but
I had a good crack at it.
So, milk teeth are called that because
they usually start coming through from 6 months to about 2.5 years. Children
are still on a lot milk at this age either breast milk, formula milk or cows
milk later. Milk teeth are also called
primary teeth, baby teeth and deciduous
teeth (like trees). Obviously adult
teeth would be too big for a baby’s mouth. And the jaw too small to hold
them. When the jaws start to grow as a
child grows up there is a transition from the primary teeth through a mixed
dentition (primary and secondary) and then the secondary (adult
dentition). There are 20 milk teeth and
32 adult teeth in total. So they fall out to make room to teeth more
appropriate for an adult size jaw.
OK, But How Did This Happen
Well it can only be evolution, the
survival of the fittest. Environmental
pressures select out new traits to remain if they are of benefit and increase
the survival of a species. As a child
comes off the milk they need enough teeth to chew but these small teeth are not
fit for purpose in an adult human. It’s
amazing how this happens really. As Human kind became top of the food chain,
environmental pressures became less of a factor because humans changed their
environment with increased intellect, imagination and dexterity.
Just Like A Shark
Having two sets of teeth was OK for
early man who wasn’t meant to last much longer than 20-30 years. These days we may be expected to last 70-100
years. That’s a long time for teeth to
last. It would be great if evolution was
still on the go and we could new teeth all the time like sharks. Not that great for the dental profession
though I suppose. There are plenty of
other careers mind.
Until next time. Take care and be good.
Chris Branfield is Principal Dentist at
Castle Park Dental Care, Castle Villa, 28 Castle Road, Cottingham, telephone
01482 772550. He has been in dental
practice for 24 years and has a special interest in life changing, pain free
dentistry with dental implants, rapid teeth straightening and cosmetic
dentistry. And, not only that Chris is founder member and trustee of Dental
Mavericks charity- ending the daily dental pain of Moroccan kids. For more
patient success stories and Chris’s charity work go here now www.castleparkdental.co.uk
