Tooth development

The three images below show a clear plastic dentaform made by Kilgore International inc. This dentaform shows the dentition of a child of about three years old. The deciduous (baby) teeth are fully formed, fully erupted, and in occlusion (which means that the top teeth are in contact with the bottom teeth). The roots of the baby teeth are clearly visible and approximately anatomically correct. You can see the adult teeth just beginning to form in the plastic just above and below the roots of the baby teeth.

The deciduous teeth are generally fully erupted by age 2. The first teeth to erupt are the lower central incisors, and eruption proceeds from the front to the back, each pair of lower teeth preceding the corresponding uppers by two months. Some children erupt their baby teeth several months early, and some may be retarded by several months. This is normal. The adult teeth begin to form in the bone at the tips of the baby teeth.

They start forming at the incisal or occlusal surfaces (the chewing surfaces) and work their way toward the tips of the roots. Note in this view, the upper lateral incisors form medially to (behind) the central incisors, and the canines form labially to (in front of) all four. This has implications for the occlusion, since the upper canines should always erupt bucally to the lower canines in a normal class I relationship.

These two images show the relative positions of the canine, first and second premolars, and the first molar as they appear in the bone of a three year old child. The first molars form behind the second deciduous molars and are quite advanced by age three since they do not have to wait for the formation of the root of a deciduous tooth to begin their own formation. The adult first premolars generally erupt about a year before the second premolars, possibly because they form so deeply nestled between the roots of the first deciduous molors.

Click the button above to email Doctor Spiller.

Your browser must be Java enabled to use the email button.
If the email button does not work on your browser, click here.

I do not answer LONG emails. If you don't receive a reply, then your letter was too long. Make your questions short and precise. I don't have time to answer rambling, multiple questionnaires.
I cannot diagnose something I cannot see. Don't ask about sores in your mouth. See a dentist.

Please do not inquire about fees. See this page instead.).

I DO appreciate your help in correcting typos and broken links.

No dental insurance?
What is dental
insurance and how
does it work?

Are your fillings
killing you?
Is mercury ruining your
life??

Is Fluoride poison?
Should it be illegal?

Do Root Canals cause
multiple sclerosis or
other diseases?
Click here to find out.

Are dentures better
than real teeth?
Should you have all your
teeth pulled and get
false teeth?

Bad breath?
What is causing your bad
breath, and how can you
treat it?

Cure your dry mouth for
Free
Click here to find out how.

Check out another family website!
San Francisco Desktop Guy.
Free BIG desktop images for multiple monitors.

All material on this web site is protected by copyright and is registered with the US Copyright office. All personal uses, including public and academic presentations, are permitted. This fair use permission applies to oral and written reports, dissertations and theses for students in public and private schools, elementary and high schools, colleges and graduate schools. It also applies to teachers wishing to print this material for classroom and course work. Acknowledgement of this website as the source for this material during presentations is not required, but would be appreciated. Any dentist or other professional who finds this material useful is welcome to print and distribute it to patients, or to refer their patients to this website.

Written requests for publication on the internet or other mass media (including printed publications) will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Internet and printed publication IS permitted (without permission, but with attribution) if it is part of a qualified academic dissertation, but any other internet or mass media use of this material without written permission is STRICTLY prohibited. Requests for such usage may be forwarded to me using the email button in the right shared border. If permission is granted, you must credit me for the use of the material and link to this website prominently from your own. Dentists and web developers who cut and paste content and/or images from doctorspiller.com into their own websites and claim them as their own are forewarned that this may result in legal action. Click here for more information concerning the copyright on this material.

DISCLAIMER: Statements made on this web site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be substituted for the advice of a medical professional. Information and statements have not been evaluated by the American Dental Association or any federal regulation agency and are not intended to diagnose, or treat any disease or medical condition. This is a personal website written by an individual dental professional whose intention is to enlighten the public with generally accepted, mainstream medical/dental information. I do not claim to represent the opinions of all dental or medical professionals. No website is a substitute for a visit to a living, breathing dentist or physician who can deal with you personally.