Life Cycle of Baby Teeth

If you’re a parent or know someone who is a parent, you might have heard the term “teething” which is a part of the “terrible twos.”

What is teething and why is that stage so terrible?

Teething is the time when a child’s first set of teeth (also called baby teeth or primary teeth) grow in. Some of a baby’s primary teeth begin to grow before the child is born. The first baby teeth that “erupt” or push up through the gums and become visible do so around seven months after birth.

Baby teeth appear often in pairs, over the baby’s first two years of life. By the time the child is two, all of their primary teeth (except for the third molars, called wisdom teeth) have erupted and are visible.

Over the two years of “teething” the child’s teeth erupt in an organized process where pairs of teeth, starting with the front middle teeth (incisors) and working toward the back of the mouth, with the canines and ending with the backmost molars.

Around seven months of age, the central incisors appear, followed by the lateral incisors. At 14 months of age, the canines come in. The first molars erupt at 18 months and the last molars come in at 24 months of age.

During this time of teeth eruption, the baby often experiences discomfort such as achy, sensitive gums. As a result, babies are often fussy.

There are many ways parents can ease their baby’s teething discomfort, such as utilizing teething toys, having children bite on carrot sticks or cool, damp washcloths. Your dentist in Tega Kay can offer some suggestions on relieving your child’s teething discomfort. We can also tell you what to expect in the teething phase of your child’s development.

Once the child’s primary teeth have all come in, there will be a few years until these teeth begin to fall out and get replaced with permanent, adult teeth.

The baby teeth will fall out in the order in which they came in.

The middle, front incisors begin to fall out around the age of seven. The lateral incisors fall out around age eight and the incisors around the age of nine. Children lose their molars around age eleven.

Wisdom teeth typically come in around the late teenage years.

This is the typical life cycle of baby teeth for children. Some children have baby teeth that come in up to six months early while others can have teeth that come in up to six months later than the aforementioned ages.

If your child’s teeth grow in more than six months early or more than six months late, contact your dentist in Tega Kay as there could be an underlying dental or overall health development issue present.

Teething and the “terrible twos” is a natural, though uncomfortable process that every child goes through.

If you know a child who is going through teething, be patient. The pain and discomfort will only last a brief time.

During this teething process, it is important that your child has regular dental office visits. Our dentist at Stonecrest Family Dental will not only provide your child with necessary deep teeth cleaning, but he will also be able to assess the condition of your child’s tooth development.

Contact us today to schedule an important, routine dental cleaning and exam for your child.

Contact Us

Some same-day appointments are available. New patients welcome!

Our Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

Monday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-5:00 pm

Friday:

Closed

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed