Baby teeth: all you need to know about baby teeth
Early Childhood Development
When does Your Child’s first tooth appear and in which order do the rest of the teeth appear?
Babies have temporary teeth called primary or deciduous teeth, and they play an important role.
When will you see Your Child’s first tooth?
Babies’ tooth eruption timeline varies widely. Some babies develop their first teeth very early, around 3 or 4 months old, while others may take much longer to develop them. Even though the average first tooth appears at 6 or 7 months, some develop at 12 months old or later.
Which baby teeth come in first?
In most babies, the bottom central teeth — lower central incisors — are the first to appear, at around 6 to 10 months. The upper front teeth — top central incisor — usually appear around 8 to 12 months.
How many teeth do babies have?
Most children have a full set of 20 primary teeth by two-and-a-half years of age. Although they’re called “baby teeth,” these tiny chompers stay well past the baby years — the last of Your Child’s baby teeth won’t be replaced by permanent teeth until around age 12.
Baby teeth chart and order of tooth appearance
Here’s an estimate of the order appearance for Your Child’s teeth:
- Lower central incisor: 6-10 months
- Top central incisor: 8-12 months
- Top lateral incisor: 9-13 months
- Lower lateral incisor: 10-16 months
- Top first molar: 13-19 months
- Lower first molar: 14-18 months
- Top canine or cuspid:16-22 months
- Lower canine or cuspid: 17-23 months
- Lower second molar: 23-31 months
- Top second molar: 25-33 months
Do babies actually chew with their teeth?
Your Child’s first teeth are for biting on food, not chewing. But when the molars come by age 2, they can be used for chewing. Until then, Your Child mainly uses gums to mash food.
Taking care of baby teeth
Although they’re temporary teeth, it’s still important to take care of them. To prevent cavities and keep Your Child’s teeth healthy, be sure to clean teeth regularly with non-fluoride toothpaste and ensure nutritious and low-sugar foods and drinks. Stay away from fluoride toothpaste until Your Child can spit it out and be careful about giving your child fruit juices – they often contain lots of sugar.
If you notice any problems or tooth decay, take Your Child to a dentist.
Verified:
Dr. Piyawut Kreetapirom, MD. (26 February 2019)