Developmental Stages of Your Child’s Teeth

As new parents soon learn, there are few things as painful for your baby as the eruption of her first tooth. While this milestone happens for all babies, the exact age that your child gets her first tooth varies from child to child. According to American Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, Dr. Yury Slepak of Brooklyn, New York, your baby’s primary or deciduous teeth should erupt around six months of age, but she can begin teething as early as three months.

Between three to six months of age, the first teeth that push through the gums are usually the bottom central incisors. Shortly after that the top four teeth come through. By the time your child reaches two and a half to three years old, ten teeth on the top and ten on the bottom will have emerged. These primary teeth will stay in your child’s mouth until she reaches six or seven years old.

Around the age of four, the jaw begins to grow to provide space between the teeth for the child’s permanent set. From six to twelve years of age, your child will have permanent and primary teeth in her mouth at the same time, as the primary teeth fall out and the permanent teeth erupt.

Although your child will lose her primary teeth, they are still important for the development of speech and nutrition. Rotten or missing teeth can make it difficult for your child to eat properly, and decay in her baby teeth can harm the development of her permanent set.

Because primary teeth are vital to the health of your child’s permanent teeth, Dr. Slepak recommends you begin brushing her teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts. Parents should also start regular dental checkups to head off any problems that may develop. After all, it’s never too early to think about your baby’s dental heath and hygiene.