Tooth development or odontogenesis is the process in which teeth develop and grow into the mouth. Tooth development varies among species.
Tooth development or odontogenesis is the process in which teeth develop and grow into the mouth. Tooth development varies among species.
Deciduous teeth or primary teeth, also informally known as baby teeth, milk teeth, or temporary teeth, are the first set of teeth in the growth and development of humans and other diphyodonts, which include most mammals but not elephants, kangaroos, or manatees, which are polyphyodonts. Deciduous teeth develop during the embryonic stage of development and erupt (break through the gums and become visible in the mouth) during infancy. They are usually lost and replaced by permanent teeth, but in the absence of their permanent replacements, they can remain functional for many years into adulthood.
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, type, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age, as well as the morpho-physiology (that is, the relationship between the shape and form of the tooth in question and its inferred function) of the animal's teeth.