Dental Health

Dental health is one of the most frequent concerns of parents who see their children growing up surrounded by so many sugary food options at a stage of life where discipline is not a strong point.

The development of human dentition is a complex process involving a series of genetic and molecular interactions that result in the formation of a unique structure essential for chewing and oral health.

It's important to understand when dental care should begin. And don't think it's just when teeth appear. Caring for your baby's teeth starts during gestation!

Dental Health: When does tooth formation begin?

The formation of human teeth begins during the embryonic period, specifically in the first weeks of gestation:

1. Around the sixth week of gestation, small groups of cells begin to proliferate from cells of ectodermal origin – embryonic tissue that will give rise to the gums and our skin. This proliferation occurs from the surface to the interior of the tissues (mesoderm). In other words, in very simple terms, we can almost say that teeth form from gum cells that migrate into the jaws. These groups of cells are called dental buds. Each dental bud gives rise to a tooth.

2. Formation of the dental cap: The dental buds deepen into the underlying tissue (mesoderm), forming what is known as the dental cap. The dental cap is a shell-shaped or bell-shaped structure that partially encloses the dental bud. It contains the cells that will be responsible for the development of the tooth tissues, such as enamel, dentin, and pulp.

3. Formation of the dental germ: As the dental cap continues to develop, it transforms into a dental germ. The dental germ is a more advanced structure, composed of several layers of cells that begin to differentiate into different components of the tooth. During this phase, the basic shape of the tooth, including the crown and root, begins to take shape.

The beginning of enamel and dentin formation.

4. Differentiation of dental tissues: As the dental germ develops, different groups of cells begin to specialize into different dental tissues. For example, some cells will become ameloblasts, responsible for the formation of dental enamel, while others will differentiate into odontoblasts, which are responsible for the production of dentin.

5. Calcification and eruption: Around the third month of gestation, calcification of the deciduous teeth (baby teeth) begins to occur. Mineralization of the dental tissues continues as the fetus develops, and the teeth begin to move toward their correct positions in the mandible and maxilla.

6. Additionally, teeth have a peculiarity: Enamel is formed from cells of ectodermal origin, while dentin and dental pulp are of mesodermal origin. Therefore, we say that the tooth has an ecto-mesenchymal origin.

The two sets of teeth: Deciduous and Permanent

7. Deciduous and permanent dentition: Humans develop two sets Children lose teeth throughout their lives. Baby teeth, also known as deciduous teeth, begin to erupt (come in) around 6 months of age and are gradually replaced by permanent teeth.

Permanent teeth begin to erupt around age 6. However, the development of permanent teeth occurs after the baby's birth, following a process similar to that described above, but starting later in life. And you can learn more about this in another article. Dental Anatomy

Based on what has been presented so far, you can see the importance of taking care of your health, your diet, and being careful when administering medication to pregnant women and children up to the end of adolescence. Remember that some medications can interfere with the formation of dental structures, especially dental enamel.

The fact that enamel originates from the ectoderm also means that some people with genetic syndromes affecting epithelial tissues – the skin – may suffer from alterations such as hypoplasia, staining, and malformations of the enamel. Examples include Amelogenesis Imperfecta, Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia, and Papillon-Levèvre Syndrome.

Monitoring young people throughout their growth and development allows for the detection and prevention of unfavorable conditions such as imbalances in the maxillomandibular proportion, dental malposition, and harmful habits. These can include parafunctional chewing or swallowing habits, as well as incorrect eating habits.

Dental Health: Does breastfeeding play a role in facial development?

A natural breastfeeding Breastfeeding is the simplest and most fundamental stimulus for the perfect development of the maxillomandibular complex that a newborn needs. Human beings cannot be deprived of this right. The movements performed by the jaw, the effort required for sucking, develop and strengthen facial muscles. It stimulates bone growth, the respiratory system, the feeling of being held… there is no shortage of arguments in defense of this care. We are mammals!

Teeth play a role in facial aesthetics, pronunciation, and the vertical dimension of the face. Another interesting fact: no two people have the same teeth and dental arch. In other words, dental impressions are unique to each individual, just like fingerprints. Forensic dentistry uses this uniqueness to identify people based on their dental arches.

With the eruption of teeth into the mouth, the dental enamel comes into contact with the oral environment. The first thing that happens is the formation of the acquired pellicle.

Acquired Film Formation

The acquired pellicle is a layer of salivary proteins that binds to the surface of the dental enamel due to biochemical affinity. These proteins have a negative biochemical nature, while the calcium in the enamel gives the tooth a positively charged surface. Therefore, the attractive force generated by the tooth induces the formation of this acquired pellicle.

The role of the acquired pellicle is to create a protective layer on the teeth that hinders the adhesion of primarily gram-positive bacteria. This occurs because the lipoprotein nature of the bacterial cell wall also has a negative chemical character. Negative charge on negative charge generates a magnetic field where both surfaces tend to repel each other.

Therefore, the presence of the acquired pellicle on the tooth isolates the tooth from the electronegative charge of these bacteria and inhibits bacterial adhesion, at least for a certain period of time, delaying the formation of bacterial plaque.

Formation of Bacterial Plaque

So, after a few hours, some species of bacteria with specialized binding mechanisms manage to adhere to the enamel surface. This opens the door for countless other species of microorganisms to join the colonization of the tooth, thus allowing the formation of bacterial plaque.

In short, once this plaque forms, if its quantity is not controlled, it can worsen the environment, allowing the colonization of many other more dangerous species, capable of threatening tooth enamel with cavities or periodontal disease. These are topics that will be addressed in... other articles.

5 years of Post-eruptive Maturation

 Basically, as soon as the enamel comes into contact with the oral environment, a biochemical process called "enamel maturation" begins. This period lasts for 5 years and represents a time when the enamel, and therefore the tooth, is more vulnerable to attack by oral acids and more vulnerable to cavities.

We can therefore say that in the first 5 years that teeth are present in the mouth, the risk of a cavity causing damage to a tooth is higher. This happens initially with the primary teeth and then this period repeats itself with the permanent teeth.

In addition to these reasons, children have less motor coordination and adolescents tend to be less responsible with brushing and eating. This factor leads to a high incidence of cavities until adolescence. Measures such as closer monitoring by parents and professionals, topical fluoride applications, and occlusal sealants will increase the chances of getting through this phase and reaching the end of adolescence with all teeth intact.

Dental Health: Development and Establishment of Occlusion

Finally, in parallel with the integrity of the dental structures, we need to briefly comment on the growth and development of the jaws, which must occur in harmony with the development of the dental arches and the establishment of a correct occlusion.

As we stated a few paragraphs above, in addition to the genetic and congenital factor that plays a major role in the successful development of a harmonious face, the breastfeeding phase, or rather – natural breastfeeding, stimulates the balanced growth of the jaws and related facial muscles.

Natural breastfeeding continues to stimulate growth, and the individual's independence gradually increases with the introduction of other types of food. Habits such as pacifiers, bottles, and parafunctional habits can hinder growth depending on how they are managed.

Dental Health: Professional monitoring during childhood.

Occasional visits to a pediatric dentist or even a general dentist allow for monitoring that can prevent the development of several conditions. For example, both anterior open bite and crossbite, or even unfavorable maxillary relationships, especially the so-called Angle classes II and III. All these problems, when diagnosed early, can be addressed or corrected with interceptive orthodontics or fixed appliances.

Furthermore, more and more researchers have been focusing on studies to understand the relationship that certain bodily diseases – systemic diseases – may have with oral problems. In other words, these diseases may have their origin or immunological stimulus caused by oral infections.

Remember that infections and abscesses of pulpal origin in addition to periodontal disease They can produce large quantities of antibodies capable of initiating autoimmune reactions in joints and heart muscle. They can cause endocarditis, circulatory system alterations with thrombosis, including stroke and myocardial infarction.

When you take care of your teeth and oral health, you are also taking care of your body.

Oral health is well-being. It's quality of life. Come with us and journey through this universe called Dentistry.

Author: Nivaldo Pinho Gonçalves, Periodontist, CROSC 9696.

Refer: https://antigo.uab.ufsc.br/biologia/files/2020/08/Embriologia-Humana.pdf