How familiar have you become with your child’s oral health and development timeline? Do you already have a chart that you’re referencing regarding when to expect a first tooth and when the tooth fairy may be making her very last visit for a lost baby tooth? It’s important to remember that the details are not set in stone, so don’t panic if something occurs a bit sooner or later than expected. Fortunately, it just takes a phone call and simple visit with us to have all of your baby teeth questions answered. Let’s get started with the basics.

Before The First Birthday

You will notice that your child’s teeth begin to develop as upper or lower central incisors erupt (these are the front two teeth either on the top or the bottom). They are generally the first to make an appearance somewhere between the ages of around six and 12 months. Lateral incisors will often show up before your child is one year of age as well (which means the teeth that sit on either side of the two front teeth on top or bottom).

Within The First Three Years

By the time your child is about two years of age, most of his or her 20 baby teeth will have erupted or begun to make their appearance. This includes canines and first molars. Then, second molars usually show up during your child’s third year.

From Age Six Through 12

Your child’s baby teeth have served your little one well but they are now ready to fall out, so permanent teeth may arrive on the scene. The falling out process usually starts around age six. You will notice that the teeth that arrived first are the first to fall out (and the rest follow in the order in which they erupted), making it easy to predict which tooth is likely to fall out next!