When Can You Expect Your Child’s Teeth to Erupt?

Your baby’s smile is the most precious thing in the world to you. If you think they’re cute now, wait until their tiny little pearly whites start coming in. But when should you expect them to start erupting? A dentist in Midland is here with the answers.

Primary Teeth

Your child’s baby teeth, more officially known as their primary teeth, will first start to come in when your child is between six months and a year old. More often than not, the two bottom front teeth, also called the lower central incisors, will erupt first, followed by the upper central incisors, or the two front teeth. After these teeth have appeared, you can expect to see them emerge in sets of four on either side of the front teeth. On average, you will likely see about four teeth for every six months of life until they finish erupting around age six or seven.

Permanent Teeth

Typically, your son or daughter will begin losing their baby teeth and gaining their adult teeth in between ages six to ten. Like with their primary teeth, the first permanent pearly whites to emerge will be their lower central incisors, quickly followed by the first molars, which are often called “six-year molars” because they usually develop around age six.

Wisdom Teeth

The dreaded wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, start to show up between the ages of 17 and 25. Many people actually don’t have room in their mouth for these teeth. In addition, they can be hard to effectively brush and floss since they’re so far back in the mouth, so they pose a higher risk of decay. They also might result in pain when they start erupting, which is another reason many patients choose to have them extracted.

Now you know what to expect in terms of your child’s teeth erupting. If your little one’s pearly whites seem to be erupting in a strange manner, be sure to let your dentist in Midland know.

About the Author

Dr. Thomas Youngblood is an affiliate of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry who earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2002 from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He is also a member of the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association, the Permian Basin Dental Society, and the East Texas Dental Society. For more information on your child’s tooth eruption, click here to contact his practice.