remedy

2023.11.04 2023-11-02

How many teeth is enough? The relationship between the number of teeth and health

Patient.

Doctor, I heard that more or less teeth than normal is not good.
How many teeth is usually enough?

dentist

I could tell it was in the process of being corrected!
This time,The normal number of teeth and their relationship to health will be explained!

Table of Contents

How many teeth? Normal number of teeth
How many teeth is enough?
Causes of tooth loss
Effects of having a small number of teeth
People with a higher than normal number of teeth also need to be careful.
Treatment for a small number of teeth
summary
1. relevance

How many teeth? Normal number of teeth

The normal number of teeth is,Excluding the four wisdom teeth, there are 14 each on the top and bottom, for a total of 28.

Even though there are 28 teeth in total, the number of teeth that can grow is determined by each type of tooth as follows.

Central incisor (first tooth counting from the front) → 2 each upper and lower, 4 teeth in total
Lateral incisors (second teeth counting from the front) → 2 each upper and lower, 4 in total
Canine teeth (third teeth counting from the front) → 2 each upper and lower, 4 teeth in total
First bicuspids (fourth teeth counting from the front) → 2 each upper and lower, 4 in total
Second bicuspids (fifth teeth counting from the front) → 2 each upper and lower, 4 in total
First molars (sixth teeth counting from the front) → 2 each upper and lower, 4 in total
Second molars (seventh teeth counting from the front) → 2 each upper and lower, 4 in total

Incidentally, there are 0 to 4 wisdom teeth (third molars), 0 to 2 each on the upper and lower sides, and some will grow in and some will not.

Teeth have the following roles respectively.

Central and lateral incisors → chew food into small pieces
Canine teeth → bite through together with the central and lateral incisors and serve as guides for biting
First bicuspids to second molars → Scrape and crush food

In addition, all teeth have a common role in creating pronunciation.

Therefore,Note that the loss of even one bottle may result in a loss of mouth function.

Incidentally, a child has a total of 20 baby teeth, which begin to erupt at around 6 months of age and come in by around 3 years of age.

Permanent teeth begin to erupt around age 6, and all teeth are usually replaced by permanent teeth by age 15.

How many teeth is enough?

It is desirable to have 28 teeth, but they can decrease over the course of a long life.

So how many teeth are enough?

According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which examined the percentage of "people who can chew and eat anything" over the age of 50 by the number of teeth, the percentage of people with 20 or more teeth who can chew and eat anything is higher.

Therefore,Generally speaking, if you have 20 or more teeth remaining, you will be able to eat almost satisfactorily.

In dentistry, there is the "8020 (Hachimaru Niimaru) Movement," which aims to preserve 20 teeth by the age of 80, the average life expectancy of Japanese people.

As the average life expectancy of Japanese people has been increasing, it seems to have come to mean healthy living in old age until older than 80 years old. "You should have at least 20 teeth to chew and eat everything" is a good indication of how many teeth are sufficient for all generations.

Causes of tooth loss

Number of teeth,It may be reduced due to the following

periodontal disease
cavity
external wound
congenital absence tooth

There are two types of causes of tooth loss: acquired and congenital.

Periodontal disease, tooth decay, and trauma are acquired causes, such as disease or unforeseen accidents.

Congenital deficiency, on the other hand, refers to a lack of teeth due to congenital causes at birth.

Causes of tooth reduction (1)

Periodontal disease is a disease in which the bone and gums that support the teeth dissolve due to tooth stains and other factors.

As periodontal disease progresses, unsupported teeth fall out.This is one of the most significant causes of tooth loss.

Periodontal disease often occurs throughout the mouth and can result in the loss of multiple teeth at once.

Causes of Tooth Loss (2) Dental Caries

This is a disease in which the teeth are dissolved by the acid produced by caries bacteria.

As the disease progresses, the nerve of the tooth may become inflamed, causing severe pain.

It is important to note that tooth loss can occur when even the roots of the tooth dissolve or when the tooth cannot be treated and must be extracted.

Causes of tooth loss (3)｜Trauma

As well as periodontal disease and tooth decay,Trauma may reduce the number of teeth.

Falling out when a tooth is impacted by an unforeseen accident.
Cracked or chipped teeth due to clenching or grinding
Inflammation of tooth nerves due to the strain of clenching and grinding, etc.

Tooth loss due to trauma occurs when teeth are damaged by external forces in this way.

Causes of reduced number of teeth (4)/Congenital absence of teeth

If a tooth is congenitally absent and there are 28 permanent teeth (excluding wisdom teeth) that are not present at birth, the number is small.

If all 20 baby teeth are present, but there are no permanent teeth to erupt beneath them, this is a congenital deficiency.

The cause is not clearly known, and it is caused by the lack of tooth embryos, which are the basis for permanent teeth, being produced when teeth are formed in the gums.

Congenital absent teeth are commonly found on the second lateral incisor, counting from the anterior, and the second premolar, counting from the anterior, on the fifth.

If two fused teeth are attached to each other as baby teeth or if the back molars do not grow back in forever, there is a possibility of congenital deficient teeth.

It can be confirmed by x-rays taken by a dentist, so it is recommended to have a checkup at the dentist when the child is about 7 years old.

Effects of having a small number of teeth

He said he has a small number of teeth,

Teeth on both sides fall over in areas where there are no teeth.
Opposing teeth become elongated, resulting in poor meshing.
Congenital defects that are not filled in and result in a gap in the tooth, etc.

This can cause misalignment of the teeth and bite.

When the alignment of the teeth and the bite are disturbed,

Bite strain damages teeth and jaw joints.
Cavities, gum disease, and bad breath occur.
Pronunciation and smoothness are adversely affected.
Headaches and stiff shoulders occur
Disarranged teeth and appearance, etc.

These risks are higher.

Depending on the condition of the mouth, a small number of teeth can cause physical and emotional problems.

People with a higher than normal number of teeth also need to be careful.

Although a small number of teeth may cause problems with tooth alignment and bite,In fact, caution should also be exercised when the number of teeth is greater than normal.It is.

A total of 28 teeth, excluding wisdom teeth, are balanced by meshing together like a puzzle.

Therefore,A larger than normal number of teeth may also disrupt the biteThe first is the

More than a total of 28 teeth, excluding wisdom teeth, is called "excess teeth".

It is a tooth that often occurs in the center of the front teeth of the upper jaw, exactly in the middle of the dentition.

Incidentally, one should also be wary of wisdom teeth, which can disrupt the alignment of the teeth.

The presence of wisdom teeth is not in itself an abnormal condition like excessive teeth, but they can cause problems when they grow in and are easily seen as a problem.

It is common to have a total of 28 teeth, excluding wisdom teeth, but if you count more than 29 teeth, there is a good chance that you have excess teeth or wisdom teeth.