Milk Teeth….What’s That All About?

“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