Tooth eruption
is part and parcel of growing up, at least for the first 15 years of each and
every one of us. This is especially important for parents to note these dates
for your child, so that you can ensure that your child is undergoing a normal
phase. Let us first explore
the different tooth names and their positions.
Baby Teeth 
Upper Teeth Lower
Teeth
Permanent Teeth
Upper teeth Lower
Teeth
No
teeth are visible in the mouth at birth. It is important to note that eruption
times vary from child to child just as the individual growth rates between
children vary. Some babies are born with an erupted incisor (neonatal tooth),
but these are not true teeth and are lost soon after birth. At about 6 months
of age the first baby teeth to erupt are the lower two front incisors
(mandibular central incisors) and 4 upper front teeth followed. The remaining
child's teeth will appear periodically in pairs on each side of the jaw until
all 20 baby teeth have come in at about 2.5 years of age. The last teeth to
emerge are the top two molars (maxillary second molars at 30 months). The
complete set of baby teeth came out from 2 years to 5.5 or 6 years of age (when
no permanent teeth are present. Shortly after 4 years of age your child jaw and
facial bones will begin to grow creating spaces between their teeth. This is a
natural process to necessary to provide larger space for permanent teeth to
emerge.
A
good rule of thumb concerning baby teeth is that for
every 6months,
approximately 4 teeth will erupt. Baby teeth play a vital role in
reserving space for their permanent counterparts and for children social
development. Missing or decayed baby teeth often cause children to reject foods
that are difficult to chew. Decay and infection in baby teeth can cause dark
spots on the permanent tooth developing beneath it. The deciduous
second molars are particularly important and should be preserved until their
normal time of exfoliation. This prevents the first permanent molars from
moving the empty spaces left behind by the removal of the deciduous second
molars. The primary teeth are crucial to your child's
normal facial appearance and the formulation of clear speech.
Parents
should note that without the benefit of a full dental examination, including a review
of medical history, dental x-rays, and diagnostic aids, no attempt can be made
to provide specific diagnosis or recommended courses of treatment.
Baby Eruption
Patterns
- Teeth tend
to erupt in pairs
- Lower
teeth usually erupt before the upper teeth
- Girls
generally preceded boys in tooth eruption
- The teeth
in both jaws usually erupt in pairs - one on the right and one on the
left.
- By the
time the child reaches the age of two to three years, all the deciduous
(baby) teeth should have erupted.
Eruption Dates
for Baby Teeth
Tooth Lower Upper
Central Incisor 6 1/2 months 7 1/2 months
Lateral Incisor 7 months 8 months
First Molar 12 - 16 months 12 - 16 months
Canine 16 - 20 months 16 - 20 months
Second Molar 20 - 30 months 20 - 30 months
Permanent Teeth
At about 6
years of age, the first permanent molars (upper and lower) and lower permanent
incisors begin to erupt. Between the age of approximately 6 and 12 years,
children have a mixture of permanent and deciduous teeth. This is known as the
mixed dentition stage. By the age of 12 most children have all their permanent
teeth, except for their wisdom teeth.
Eruption Dates
for Permanent Teeth
Tooth Lower Upper
Central Incisor 6 - 7 years 7 - 8 years
Lateral Incisor 7 - 8 years 8 - 9 years
Canine 9 - 10 years 11 - 12 years
1st Premolar 10 - 12 years 10 -11 years
2nd Premolar 11 - 12 years 10 - 12 years
1st Molar 6 - 7 years 6 - 7 years
2nd Molar 11 - 13 years 12 - 13 years
3rd Molar (Wisdom) 17 - 21 years 17 - 21 years
