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When Will My Baby’s Teeth Come In?

As with most things with children (as you’ll soon learn), their teeth will start come in when they’re ready.  The age your child is when their teeth first start to come in is not indicative of whether they’re developmentally behind or ahead.  And when you’re up at 3AM with a fussy child who’s cutting his first tooth, you’ll wonder why you ever looked forward to this wonderful event.

 

The average time for the appearance of the first teeth is between 5 and 7 months old.  However, teeth could come in as early as one month or they might not reveal their toothy grin until 1.5 years olds.  In some extreme cases, a child can even be born with teeth!  This typically only happens in about 1 out of every 2,000 newborns, and these are often extra teeth that should be removed.

If teeth are very early or very late to appear, you should take your child to a doctor to make sure that it is not indicative of a more serious complication.  Delayed eruption could be caused by a nutritional problem, such as rickets, or a systemic condition, such a hypopituitarism or hypothyroidism.  If baby teeth appear very early, it could indicate a hormonal problem such as hyperthyroidism.

The following tables outline the normal ranges for teeth to erupt and to shed:

WHEN BABY TEETH FIRST APPEAR

  Upper Lower
Central incisors 6-8 months 5-7 months
Lateral incisors 8-11 months 7-10 months
Cuspids (canines) 16-20 months 16-20 months
First molars 10-16 months 10-16 months
Second molars 20-30 months 20-30 months

WHEN BABY TEETH FALL OUT

  Upper Lower
Central incisors 7-8 years 6-7 years
Lateral incisors 8-9 years 7-8 years
Cuspids (canines) 11-12 years 9-11 years
First molars 10-11 years 10-12 years
Second molars 10-12 years 11-13 years

WHEN PERMANENT TEETH FIRST APPEAR

  Upper Lower
Central incisors 7-8 years 6-7 years
Lateral incisors 8-9 years 7-8 years
Cuspids (canines) 11-12 years 9-11 years
First premolars (bicuspids) 10-11 years 10-12-years
Second premolars (bicuspids) 10-12 years 11-13 years
First molars 6-7 years 6-7 years
Second molars 12-13 years 12-13 years
Third molars (wisdom teeth) 17-22 years 17-22 years

 

***A few facts about baby teeth:

  • A general rule of thumb is that for every 6 months of life, approximately 4 teeth will erupt.
  • Girls generally get their baby teeth before boys.
  • Lower teeth usually come in before upper teeth.
  • Teeth in both jaws usually erupt in pairs — one on the right and one on the left.
  • Primary teeth are smaller in size and whiter in color than the permanent teeth that follow.
  • By the time a child is 2 to 3 years old, all primary teeth should have come in.

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