Eruption of Your Child’s Teeth

[section section_anchor=”” is_fullwidth=”” padding=”0″ animation=”” animation_delay=”0″ background_color=”” text_color=”” background_image=”” parallax=”0″ auto_generated=”1″ _made_with_builder=”true”][row][column width=”3_4″ animation=”” animation_delay=”0″ _made_with_builder=”true”][special_heading title=”Eruption of Your Child’s Teeth” subtitle=”” heading=”h1″ centered=”” _made_with_builder=”true”][/special_heading][text_block text=”<p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify">The eruption of primary teeth (also known as deciduous or baby teeth) follows a similar developmental timeline for most children.&nbsp; A full set of primary teeth begins to grow beneath the gums during the fourth month of pregnancy. For this reason, a nourishing prenatal diet is of paramount importance to the infant&rsquo;s teeth, gums, and bones.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify">Generally, the first primary tooth breaks through the gums between the ages of six months and one year.&nbsp; By the age of three years old most children have a &ldquo;full&rdquo; set of twenty primary teeth. &nbsp;The American Dental Association (ADA) encourages parents to make a &ldquo;well-baby&rdquo; appointment with a pediatric dentist approximately six months after the first tooth emerges. &nbsp;Pediatric dentists communicate with parents and children about prevention strategies, emphasizing the importance of a sound, &ldquo;no tears&rdquo; daily home care plan.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify">Although primary teeth are deciduous, they facilitate speech production, proper jaw development, good chewing habits, and the proper spacing and alignment of adult teeth.&nbsp;&nbsp;Caring properly for primary teeth helps defend against painful tooth decay, premature tooth loss, malnutrition, and childhood periodontal disease.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size: 16px;">In what order do primary teeth emerge?</span></strong></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify">As a general rule-of-thumb, the first teeth to emerge are the central incisors (very front teeth) on the lower and upper jaws (6-12 months).&nbsp; These (and any other primary teeth) can be cleaned gently with a soft, clean cloth to reduce the risk of bacterial infection. &nbsp;The central incisors are the first teeth to be lost, usually between 6 and 7 years of age.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify">Next, the lateral incisors (immediately adjacent to the central incisors) emerge on the upper and lower jaws (9-16 months).&nbsp; These teeth are lost next, usually between 7 and 8 years of age. &nbsp;First molars, the large flat teeth towards the rear of the mouth, then emerge on the upper and lower jaws (13-19 months). &nbsp;The eruption of molars can be painful.&nbsp; Clean fingers, cool gauzes, and teething rings are all useful in soothing discomfort and soreness. First molars are generally lost between 9 and 11 years of age.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify">Canine (cuspid) teeth then tend to emerge on the upper and lower jaws (16-23 months). &nbsp;Canine teeth can be found next to the lateral incisors and are lost during preadolescence (10-12 years old). &nbsp;Finally, second molars complete the primary set on the lower and upper jaw (23-33 months).&nbsp;Second molars can be found at the very back of the mouth and are lost between the ages of 10 and 12 years old.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size: 16px;">What else is known about primary teeth?</span></strong></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify">Though each child is unique, baby girls generally have a head start on baby boys when it comes to primary tooth eruption.&nbsp; Lower teeth usually erupt before opposing upper teeth in both sexes.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="justify">Teeth usually erupt in pairs &ndash; meaning that there may be months with no new activity and months where two or more teeth emerge at once.&nbsp; Due to smaller jaw size, primary teeth are smaller than permanent teeth, and appear to have a whiter tone.&nbsp; Finally, an interesting mixture of primary and permanent teeth is the norm for most school-age children.</p><p align="justify"><em>If you have questions or concerns about primary teeth, please contact our office.</em></p>” _made_with_builder=”true”][/text_block][/column][column width=”1_4″ animation=”” animation_delay=”0″ _made_with_builder=”true”][contact_form_custom form_width=”650″ form_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” form_shortcode=”[contact-form-7 id="7" title="Contact form 1"]” _made_with_builder=”true”][/contact_form_custom][/column][/row][/section]