A child missing their teeth might be cute, but it is also a milestone for parents to look forward to. So, what’s next? Another round of teething and giant permanent teeth! These teeth of course need to last the rest of your child’s life. While you have your permanent teeth you are likely not a dental professional and do not know what to expect for your child and their next round of teeth. Luckily, we will go over what you can expect as your child goes through this process.
How Many Teeth Do We Have?
Baby teeth or also known as “primary teeth” begin to come in at 6 months of age and continue till right around the 2-3 year mark. Eventually all those baby teeth will be replaced with permanent teeth, which start at around 5 years of age and continue through adulthood. We are born with a set of 20 primary teeth, which get replaced with 32 permanent teeth. Baby teeth have a big job. They are helpers when it comes to chewing and eating foods, but also play a role in holding space in the jaw for the permanent teeth to come in.
When your child has their primary teeth they will have 10 teeth on the top and bottom of their mouth. When their adult or permanent teeth come in, they will now have 16 teeth on the top and bottom. These teeth are larger and slightly darker.
When Do Permanent Teeth Come In?
A child’s permanent teeth will erupt usually from the front of their mouth and work their way back to their molars. However, the exception to this is when a tooth is damaged due to poor dental hygiene, trauma, or medical conditions. Most children will begin to lose teeth when their schooling starts about age 5 or 6. They will have the majority of their permanent teeth by the time they are the age of 12 or 13. These include their central incisors, lateral incisors, the teeth between the front teeth and canines, canine teeth, and molars. The last teeth that will arrive are the wisdom teeth if they ever arrive at all.
Wisdom teeth may never even erupt and can remain in your mouth if they are not causing any underlying issues. However, if they do decide to erupt they typically do so around the age of 17-21. Your dentist will be able to make recommendations on taking care of them properly and whether or not they need removal.
Contact Us For Dental Services in Lewiston
If you live in the Lewiston Maine area and need to see a dentist, please give us a call. We can discuss the insurance programs we take as well as options you have with our office if you do not have insurance or your insurance does not cover the procedure you need.
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