Tooth morphology: deciduous dentition, differences from permanent
Dental Anatomy, Embryology and Oral Histology · Dental (BDS)
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Compare: A 5-year-old's upper front tooth vs an adult's upper front tooth. The child's tooth (deciduous central incisor) is smaller, whiter, with a narrower neck at the gum line, and its root (if visible on X-ray) is shorter. The adult tooth (permanent central incisor) is larger, slightly more yellow, with thicker enamel. The deciduous tooth will loosen and shed around age 6–7 to make way for the permanent one.
Related topics
- Tooth morphology: permanent dentition — incisors, canines, premolars, molars
- Tooth numbering systems: FDI, Universal, Palmer notation
- Development of face, palate, tongue, and oral cavity
- Tooth development: bud, cap, bell stages; enamel and dentin formation
- Eruption and shedding: chronology, theories of eruption
- Enamel: structure, composition, defects — amelogenesis imperfecta