Children's teeth
begin developing in the foetus. Good nutrition from the mother
during pregnancy is important in the development of the teeth. The
mother's diet should have adequate amounts of calcium, phosphorus,
vitamin C, and vitamin D. Certain medications, such as tetracycline,
should not be taken by the mother while she is pregnant as this can
cause harm to the developing teeth of the embryo. There are four
main stages of development of the tooth:
- The first stage begins in the
foetus at about six weeks of age. This is when the basic substance
of the tooth forms.
- Next, the hard tissue that
surrounds the teeth is formed, around three to four months of
gestation.
- After the child is born, the
next stage occurs when the tooth actually protrudes through the
gum.
- Finally, there is the
loss of the primary "baby" teeth.
When will my child's teeth
come in?
While
every child is different, most of the primary teeth (baby teeth)
come in between the ages of four and 12 months. The following are
general guidelines for the eruption of the baby teeth:
- The first tooth to erupt is
usually a middle, front tooth on the lower jaw, known as the
central incisor. This is followed by the second central incisor on
the lower jaw.
- Next, the four upper incisors
usually come in.
- The above is followed by the
first four molars, and the remaining bottom two lateral incisors.
Lateral incisors are beside of (lateral to) the central incisors.
- Then the cuspids, or the
pointed teeth, appear.
- Usually, after the child
reaches two years old, the four second molars (the last of the
baby teeth) appear.
The teeth on the upper jaw usually
erupt one to two months after the same tooth on the lower jaw. There
are a total of 20 primary teeth. Usually, about one tooth erupts per
month once the teeth have started coming in. There is normally a
space between all the baby teeth. This leaves room for the larger
permanent teeth to erupt.
Eruption of teeth happens at
different times for each child.
In Figure 1,
we have provided average ages of eruption and shedding
When will my child's permanent
teeth come in?
Your
child will begin losing his/her primary teeth (baby teeth) around
the age of 6. The first teeth to be lost are usually the central
incisors. This is then followed by the eruption of the first
permanent molars. The last baby tooth is usually lost around the age
of 12, and is the cuspid or second molar. There will be a total of
32 permanent, or adult, teeth. See Anatomy of
Mouth
|
