How Children’s Teeth Erupt and Fall Out
We are all familiar with the life cycle of teeth. As little kids we remember losing teeth and permanent ones growing in. If you have children, it is important to understand to a fuller degree how children’s teeth erupt and fall out.
Baby Teeth
Most people have two sets of teeth during their life: a set of primary or “baby” teeth and the permanent or “adult” teeth. We are generally born with 20 primary teeth. Baby teeth serve a number of purposes. The obvious is they help with chewing but they also help kids pronounce words as well as hold a place in the mouth for permanent teeth.
Permanent Teeth
Understanding when permanent teeth erupt is helpful to knowing how children’s teeth erupt and fall out. 6 to 7 years are the general ages at which the first permanent molars erupt. Hence they are known as the “six year molars”. According to Delta Dental, “Most children have 28 of their permanent teeth by age 13 years. These include four central incisors, four lateral incisors, eight premolars, four canines and eight molars.”
Wisdom Teeth
The last teeth to erupt are known as the third molars, better known as wisdom teeth. These commonly come in between the ages of 17 to 21. Since they are so far back, these teeth are less essential to chewing and often present issues with cleaning. Therefore, do not be surprised if your dentist recommends you have them extracted.
Visit Your Dentist
Dentists know the most about how children’s teeth erupt and fall out. With this in mind, it is very important for children to be brought to the dentist every six months. The dentist will ensure a child’s teeth are healthy and capable of lasting the child a lifetime.