7.

TEMPORARY TEETH
( BABY OR PRIMARY TEETH)

These are the first teeth to erupt into the oral cavity. The primary dentition is comprised of 20 teeth. Often
these teeth are referred to as deciduous teeth. These teeth will be exfoliated (lost) as the permanent teeth
erupt. In each arch of the mouth, there are two central incisors, two lateral incisors, two canines, and four
molars.

The location of milk teeth in the upper and lower jaws of a newborn child.
1 - upper first molar (permanent), 2 - upper second molar (milk), 3 - upper first molar (milk), 4 - upper
canine (milk), 5 - upper lateral incisor (milk), 6 - upper medial incisor (milk), 7 - lower medial incisor
(milk), 8 - lower lateral incisor (milk), 9 - lower canine (milk), 10 - lower first molar (milk), 11 - lower
second molar (milk), 12 - lower first molar (permanent)
Time of temporary teeth eruption

Central incisors…............5 to 8 months.

Lateral incisors …..........7 to 10 months.
First molars…...............12 to 16 months.
Canines….....................14 to 20 months.
Second molars…..........20 to 36 months.
 Temporary teeth of the upper dental arch

Deciduous teeth in the upper dental arch. (1) Incisors (A [first deciduous incisor] and B [second
deciduous incisor]), (2) Canine (C [deciduous canine]), (3) Molars (posterior teeth) (D [first deciduous
molar] and E [second deciduous molar]), (4) Anterior teeth, (5) Maxilla, (6) Palatine bone, (7)
Gubernacular foramen, (8) Incisive canal, (9) Incisive suture, (10) Median palatine suture, (11)
Transverse palatine suture, (12) Greater palatine foramen, and (13) Lesser palatine foramen.
Temporary teeth of the lower dental arch

Deciduous teeth in the lower dental arch. (1) Incisors (A [first deciduous incisor] and B [second
deciduous incisor]), (2) Canine (C [deciduous canine]), (3) Molars (posterior teeth) (D [first deciduous
molar] and E [second deciduous molar]), (4) Anterior teeth, (5) Coronoid process, (6) Head of mandible,
(7) Mandible, (8) Oblique line, (9) Mandibular foramen, (10) Mental foramen, and (11) Gubernacular
foramen.
 Milk teeth formula
Upper jaw

Right Left
side side

Lower jaw
1- Central incisor; 2-Lateral incisor; 3- Canine; 4- 1-st molar; 5- 2-nd molar
Morphology of temporary teeth
5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5

Labial aspect of temporary teeth

5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5

 Lingual aspect of primary teeth
Primary maxillary central incisors. The crown is wider mesiodistally than incisocervically, have no
mamelons, no pits are noted on the lingual surface. The single root is generally round and tapers evenly to
the apex.
Primary maxillary lateral incisors. The crown is similar to the central incisor but is much smaller than the
central in all dimensions. The incisal angles are more rounded than the central. The root is also similar to
that of the central, but the lateral‟s root is longer in proportion to its crown, its apex is sharper.
Primary mandibular central incisors. The lingual surface appears smooth and tapers toward the
prominent cingulum. The root is single, long and slender. The labial and lingual surfaces of the root are
rounded, but the proximal surfaces are slightly flattened.
Primary mandibular lateral incisors. The crown is similar in form to the central incisor of the same arch,
but crown is wider and longer than that of the central. The root may have a distal curvature in its apical
third.
Primary maxillary canine. The crown has a relatively long and sharp cusp. The mesial cusp slope is
longer than the distal cusp slope on this tooth. A tubercle is often present on the cingulum, extending
from the cusp tip to the cingulum. The root is twice as long as the crown.
Primary mandibular canine. The crown resembles the primary maxillary canine. This tooth is much
smaller labiolingually. The distal cusp slope is much longer than the mesial cusp slope. The root is long,
narrow, and almost twice the length of the crown, although shorter and more tapered than that of a
primary maxillary canine.
Primary maxillary first molar. The occlusal table can have four cusps: mesiobuccal, mesiolingual,
distobuccal and distolingual. Frequently, the distolingual cusp may be absent. The occlusal table also has
a very prominent transverse ridge, oblique ridge. The tooth also has an Hshaped groove pattern. The tooth
has three roots. The root trunk is short. The mesiobuccal root is wider buccolingually than the distobuccal
root. The lingual root is the longest and the most divergent.
Primary maxillary second molar. The crown is larger than in the primary maxillary first molar. It usually
has a cusp of Carabelli, the minor fifth cusp.
Primary mandibular first molar. The tooth has four cusps. The mesiolingual cusp is long, pointed, and
angled in on the occlusal table. The tooth has two roots.
Primary mandibular second molar. The tooth is larger than the primary mandibular first molar. The three
buccal cusps are nearly equal in size. The tooth has an overall oval occlusal shape.

A- primary tooth; B – permanent tooth

 Morphologic differences between primary and permanent teeth:
1. The crowns of the primary teeth are wider mesiodistally in comparison with their crown length than are
the permanent teeth. The crown of a milk tooth has the largest diameter in the neck region, and a
permanent one in the equator region.
2. The roots of primary anterior teeth are narrow and long in comparison with crown width and length.
The roots of deciduous teeth are less rounded compared to permanent ones, short and straight.
They diverge widely to the sides, because between them is the rudiment of a permanent tooth.
3. The cervical ridge of enamel at the cervical third of the anterior crowns is much more prominent
labially and lingually in the primary than in the permanent teeth.
4. The color of milk teeth are bluish-white, while permanent teeth are yellowish.
5. The thickness of the hard tissues of a milk tooth is less than that of a permanent one.
6. The hard tissues of milk teeth are less mineralized than permanent teeth, and therefore less rigid.
7. The pulp cavity of milk teeth is an extensive cavity of the tooth of permanent teeth.
8.The root canals and apical openings of temporary teeth are wider and more freely passable than
permanent teeth, especially during the period of root formation.
9. The structure of dentin has wider dentinal tubules, through which the carious process spreads much
faster, compared with permanent teeth.
10. The ability of the pulp to form replacement dentin is less pronounced in temporary teeth (at the age of
1.5-3 years, it is not formed).
 DEVELOPMENT OF OCCLUSION
1) Pre dentition period (from birth to 6 month (eruption of first primary tooth))
2) Primary dentition (6 month- 6 years (eruption of the first permanent tooth))
3) Mixed dentition stage (from 6 to 12 years – with exfoliation of last primary tooth)
4) Permanent dentition stage (from 12 years)
1. Pre dentition period
1) Complete overjet
Maxillary gum pad wider and longer and overlap mandible gum pad both horizontally and vertically. In
this way opposite surface of pads provide efficient way of squeezing milk during breastfeeding.
2) Infantile open bite
Contact occurs between upper and lower gum pads at 1-st molar region and space exists between them in
anterior region. Tongue is positioned in this space. This open bite is transient get corrected with eruption
of deciduous incisors. This infantile open bite is normal and help in suckling.

A - Upper jaw; B – Lower jaw

 Infantile open bite
2. Primary dentition
1) Spacing:
Two types of dentition: spaced and nonspaced
Spaced dentition supposed to be good as spaces in between teeth utilized for adjustment of permanent
successors.
Nonspaced dentition may be due to narrowness of dental arches or if teeth wider than usual.

Interdental spaces

2) Incisor relationship

Increased overbite and increased overjet

3) Molar relationship
 Distal step Time of temporary
Flush terminal plane
teeth eruption Mesial step
Central incisors…............5 to 8 months.
Lateral incisors …..........7 to 10 months.
First molars…...............12 to 16 months.
Canines….....................14 to 20 months.
Second molars…..........20 to 36 months.

3. Mixed dentition period

Period during which both primary and permanent teeth are in mouth.
Begins at 6years with eruption of permanent molar.
Most malocclusion developed in this stage
Phases of mixed dentition
1) Early/1-st Transitional Period
2) Intertransitional Period
3) Late/2-nd Transitional Period
1)Early transitional period (6-8 years)
Concerned with replacement of primary incisors by their successors and addition of four 1-st permanent
molars to dentition.
Location and relationship of 1st permanent molar influenced by presence of interdental spacing and
terminal plane relationship of primary dentition.
2)Intertransitional period
After 1-st permanent molars and incisors establish occlusion, there is period of 1-2 years where little
change in occlusion is seen.
Mandibular lateral incisors attain proper sites within dental arch and their initially lingual location is
eliminated.
Small rotations corrected by pressure exerted by tongue and lips.
Resorption of roots of deciduous canines and molars continues
3) Late/2-nd transitional period
Involves replacement of deciduous molars and canine by premolars and permanent canines and
emergence of 2-nd permanent molars.
 4. Permanent dentition stage (from 12 years)
Mixed dentition
Permanent dentition stage of dental development starts after shedding of last primary teeth & eruption of
all permanent teeth excluding third molars.
Time of permanent teeth eruption
First molars .........................5 to 6 years.
Central incisors ...................6 to 8 years.
Lateral incisors .............…...7 to 9 years.
First premolars ...................9 to 10 years.
Second premolars ............10 to 12 years.
Canines ............................11 to 13 years.
Second molars .................12 to 14 years.
Third molars ....................17 to 21 years.