Stages of a Child’s Teeth

Stages of a Child’s Teeth

There are four main stages of a your child’s teeth.

1. About 6 weeks old, as a fetus, the foundation and structure of the teeth begin to form.
2. At 3 to 4 months in the womb, the hard tissue that incases the teeth develops
3. After birth (usually between 4 and 12 months old) all of the baby teeth have broken through the gums.
4. The baby teeth are “lost” to make way for the adult teeth.

Arrival of the Baby Teeth

Although all children are different, the following represents the common order for the arrival of the baby teeth.

1. The central incisor, on the lower jaw, is usually the first baby tooth to appear. (This is the middle front tooth.)
2. The second central incisor is usually next, popping up beside the first one.
3. The four upper incisors are usually the next to appear.
4. The first four molars and the two bottom lateral incisors usually come next.
5. The pointed teeth, called the cuspids, then appear.
6. The four second molars are usually the last of the baby teeth to appear, generally when the child is around two years of age.

Primary Teeth Development Chart
Upper Teeth	When tooth emerges	When tooth falls out
Central incisor	8 to 12 months	6 to 7 years
Lateral incisor	9 to 13 months	7 to 8 years
Canine (cuspid)	16 to 22 months	10 to 12 years
First molar	13 to 19 months	9 to 11 years
Second molar	25 to 33 months	10 to 12 years
Lower Teeth
Second molar	23 to 31 months	10 to 12 years
First molar	14 to 18 months	9 to 11 years
Canine (cuspid)	17 to 23 months	9 to 12 years
Lateral incisor	10 to 16 months	7 to 8 years
Central incisor	6 to 10 months	6 to 7 years

Your child will eventually have a total of 20 baby teeth, each coming in at a rate of about one per month.