Deciduous teeth contain histories of developmental disturbances.

The crowns of the deciduous teeth are permanent structures which form by incremental growth during the second half of pregnancy and first year of life. These structures become available between the ages of 6 and 12 years with normal exfoliation and can then be studied histologically to demonstrate evidence of metabolic disturbances occurring during tooth development. As the chronology of disturbances can be assessed with reasonable accuracy, such studies provide a potentially valuable research tool.