secondary dentition

secondary dentition

n.

1. The set of 32 permanent teeth whose eruptions begin from the fifth to the seventh year, lasting until the 17th to the 23rd year, when the last of the wisdom teeth appear.

2. The eruption of the permanent teeth. Also called permanent dentition.

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secondary dentition,

the set of 32 teeth that appears during and after childhood and usually lasts until old age. In each jaw they include four incisors, two canines, four premolars, and six molars. The secondary teeth start to develop in the ninth week of fetal life with the thickening of the epithelium along the line of the future jaw. The permanent first molar in the lower jaw calcifies just after birth; the incisors and the canines, approximately 6 months later; the premolars during the second year; the second molar at about the end of the second year; and the third molar at about the twelfth year. The secondary teeth erupt first in the lower jaw, beginning with the first molars in about the sixth year and followed by the two central incisors in about the seventh year, the two lateral incisors in about the eighth year, the first premolars in about the ninth year, the second premolars in about the tenth year, the canines between the eleventh and the twelfth years, the second molars between the twelfth and the thirteenth years, and the third molars between the seventeenth and twenty-fifth years. The eruption of each secondary tooth in the upper jaw lags only slightly behind that of the corresponding tooth in the lower jaw. The third molars in many people are badly oriented or so deeply buried in bone that they must be surgically removed. In some individuals, one or all four of the third molars may not develop completely. Also called permanent dentition, permanent teeth, secondary teeth. Compare primary dentition. See also tooth.

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dentition (dentish´n),

n the natural teeth in position in the dental arches.

dentition, artificial,

n the artificial substitutes for the natural dentition. See also denture.

dentition, deciduous,

n See dentition, primary.

dentition, mixed,

n the teeth in the jaws after the eruption of some of the permanent teeth but before all the primary teeth are exfoliated. This period usually begins with the eruption of the first permanent molars and ends with the exfoliation of the last primary tooth. Also called the transitional dentition. See also ugly duckling stage.

dentition, permanent (secondary dentition, permanent teeth),

n the 32 teeth of adulthood that either replace or are added to with the shedding (exfoliation) of the primary teeth.

dentition, primary,

n the 12 teeth present that erupt first and are usually replaced by the permanent teeth. This term is currently preferred over
deciduous.

dentition, prognosis of,

n an evaluation by the dental professional of the prospect of recovery from dental disease, combined with a forecast of the probability of maintaining the dentition and its associated structures in function and health.

dentition, secondary,

n See dentition, permanent.

dentition, transitional,

n See dentition, mixed.

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secondary,

adj 1. not primary, immediately following the first position; supplemental.
2. directly emerging or resulting from an original source or condition.

secondary bone,

n a second layer of bone tissue that supersedes the original bone as part of the maturation process.

secondary cancer,

n an opportunistic neoplasm imposed on a host with reduced health and resistance resulting from a preceding primary neoplasm or viral infection.

secondary deficiency,

n an inadequacy of nutrients in the diet that is the result of the body's inability effectively to process and use the foods ingested, however healthy those foods might be; may be caused by disease, allergies, or interactions between drugs and nutrients or between two nutrients.

secondary dental caries,

n.pl See caries, recurrent.

secondary dentition,

n See dentition, permanent.

secondary hemorrhage,

n bleeding that develops 24 hours or more after the original injury or surgery. It is often caused by an infection.

secondary infectious disease,

n an opportunistic infection imposed on a host with reduced health and resistance resulting from a preceding infection by a more virulent organism.

secondary prevention,

n an action performed to take care of early symptoms of a disease and preclude the development of possible irreparable medical conditions. See also primary health care and primary prevention.

secondary radiation,

n See radiation, secondary.

secondary sex characteristic,

n an external physical characteristic of sexual maturity that distinguishes one gender from the other, such as the distribution of hair and voice changes.