Although it will normally take months to poke through your mouth, Babies' baby teeth begin to develop in the fetus, a few weeks pregnant. Therefore, good nutrition of the mother during pregnancy is also important for the development of teeth.
The pregnant woman's diet should include adequate amounts of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C and vitamin D. During pregnancy, certain medications, such as tetracycline, should not be taken as it could be harmful to the developing teeth of the embryo. There are four main stages in the development of teeth:
- The first stage begins in the fetus between approximately 6 and 8 weeks gestation. At this stage the basic substance of baby teeth is formed.
Then, even during pregnancy, the hard tissue that surrounds the teeth is formed, about 3-4 months of gestation. It begins to form or "lay the foundations" of permanent dentition.
After the child is born, the next stage occurs when the tooth appears through the gum. They are baby teeth, which usually begin to appear after six months of age.
- Finally, there is a fall of the "milk" or primary teeth generally from five and a half years of age and the final ones come out.
In humans, the presence of elements such as enamel, dentin, cement and periodontium is required to allow the environment of the oral cavity to be conducive to development, which occurs during fetal development through complex formation mechanisms.
If this development does not begin in the preset period, dental ontogenesis or appearance and constitution of the teeth is partial and imperfect.
So that baby's teeth begin to form within a few weeks of pregnancy, in the mother's womb, in a complex process that requires the care of the mother to develop properly.
