Understanding the cycle of your child’s teeth will help you decide how to care for their teeth and give you peace of mind that their dental health is where it should be. Here is all the information you need about children’s teeth.
How Do My Children's Teeth Come Out?
When your child is six months old, they will start to get teeth. Before that, the tooth buds in your child’s jaw have been growing into baby teeth. Now, it’s time for the sometimes-painful process of children’s teeth coming in.
When a baby’s teeth come in, they push up through the soft gums. Most of the time, the first teeth to come in are the incisors, which are in the front of your child’s mouth. From now until your child is three years old, you will see a steady progression of teeth coming in until all 20 teeth are there.
How Do My Children's Teeth Fall Out?
So, the next question is why and how your kids’ teeth fall out. The tooth buds will begin developing a completely new set of teeth underneath the existing (baby) ones after all twenty teeth have established themselves. During the process of making new teeth, the roots of the baby teeth slowly die, and the tooth is pushed out of the way. This is why children lose their baby teeth.
Your child will start complaining about a loose tooth as the first sign. However, pediatric dentists say it’s best to let the tooth fall out on its own since taking it out too soon can cause an infection.
The General Timeline for When Children Develop & Lose Teeth
From Birth to 36 Months
The central incisors, or front teeth, usually come in first when a child is between 6 and 12 months old. The teeth on either side of the centre teeth are usually the next ones to come in. Most children get their first 20 teeth by the time they are three years old.
Age 6-7
First permanent molars erupt at around age six or seven. These don’t replace baby teeth, so they can hurt a little when they come out. But the pain will only last for a short time. Most children also lose their first teeth around this time, usually in the same order that they came in.
Age 11-13
Most kids have a mix of primary and permanent teeth by the time they are 11 to 13 years old. After all of the baby teeth are gone, and the first molars come in, children should have four central incisors, four lateral incisors, eight premolars, four canines, and eight molars. Around this age, the last baby teeth, which are usually the molars, usually fall out.
Age 17-21
The last set of teeth usually comes between the ages of 17 and 21. Around this time, third molars, also called wisdom teeth, come in. They can be painful. Wisdom teeth cause problems like getting stuck, getting infected, or only partially coming out. So, they are usually taken out unless they don’t cause any major problems.
Looking for Professional Pediatric Dentistry in Thornhill, Ontario?
Visit our dentist at SkyRise Dental if you just had a baby or are going to have one soon and you need a pediatric dentist. She can tell you more about children’s teeth. Our dentist is committed to giving your child the best dental care possible, so they will sit down with you and teach you everything you need to know to make the best choices for your child’s dental care. Click here to book an appointment, or give us a call right now to set up a meeting in Thornhill, Ontario.
