Most human beings will have 20 baby teeth and 32 adult teeth throughout the first 20 years or their lives. By age three, 20 baby teeth will have erupted in most children. The next three years are uneventful and the first permanent teeth to erupt will be the upper and lower central incisors (front middle teeth) around the age of 6.
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Concerned parents often bring
their child to the dentist when
they see the incisors coming
through while the corresponding
baby tooth is still present.
However rest assured that with
time the permanent incisor
will cause the exfoliation
(shedding) of the baby incisor.
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Concerned parents often bring their child to the dentist when they see the incisors coming through while the corresponding baby tooth is still present. However rest assured that with time the permanent incisor will cause the exfoliation (shedding) of the baby incisor.
Also erupting at age 6, is the first permanent molar located behind the last baby molar at the back of the mouth, causing some mild discomfort. What is often overlooked by parents and children is the fact that these molars are very prone to decay since they have fresh deep grooves and fissures that collect plaque.
Furthermore brushing is often inadequate at this young age and it is common to find cavities in these teeth only six months later.
The lateral incisors (next to the centrals) are next, erupting at age 7-8, causing the baby laterals to shed. From age 9 on, things get a little more complex, but normally the cuspid (eye teeth), first premolar, second premolar, and second molar have erupted by age 11-13. The only tooth left is the third molars, also known as the wisdom teeth.
These molars do not erupt as precisely as the rest of the dentition, however they commonly erupt at about age 17-25. Please note that wisdom teeth can make their appearance at any age during adulthood. Extremely common is the situation where they fail to erupt altogether, which we refer to as an impacted wisdom tooth.
It is becoming more common to see individuals with one or more wisdom teeth congenially missing. It is believed this may be evidence that we are evolving to smaller jaws which require less teeth.
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What is often overlooked by
parents and children is the
fact that these molars are
very prone to decay since
they have fresh deep grooves
and fissures that collect plaque.
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In closing, please note that many normal eruption patterns deviate from the above average development. Only your dentist can detect abnormal patterns of eruption, which can often be corrected early, thus avoiding later complications.
