Baby teeth seem to magically appear in a baby's mouth. One day the baby is grinning with just his gums showing, and the next day you can see a tiny tooth has popped out. After the first tooth is up, all the others follow until your baby has a mouthful of teeth. Baby teeth are temporary and all the baby teeth will fall out over a period of time.
Development
Baby teeth begin to develop even before birth. By eight months of gestation, the primary teeth have formed under the gums. The baby's teeth stay under her gums at birth and will not appear for several months. Generally speaking, most babies will begin to have visible teeth between four and 12 months. After the first tooth comes through the gums, the rest of the baby teeth follow in a regular pattern.
How They Appear
The baby teeth erupt in a predictable order. The first tooth to come in is called the central incisor, which is located in the middle of the bottom jaw. The next tooth generally appears next to the central incisor, followed by the four upper center teeth. By the time the child is two and a half to three years old, he will have all 20 of his baby teeth. There is a wide variation in the timing of a child's tooth development. Always consult your pediatric dentist with any specific concerns.
Timing of Loss
The first baby teeth to come out are the bottom central incisors. This generally occurs between the ages of four and seven. The baby tooth will become loose and then fall out. You may or may not be able to see the permanent tooth as soon as the baby tooth comes out, but if it is not readily visible, it soon will be. After the cycle has started, the child will lose all of her baby teeth one by one by the time she is 12 or 13 years old.
Mixed Dentition Stage
The period of time where the child has a mixture of baby and permanent teeth is called the mixed dentition stage. During this stage, a child loses all 20 baby teeth, while 28 permanent teeth make their appearance. Eventually the child will have four wisdom teeth, bringing the total number of teeth to 32.
Concerns
As the baby teeth fall out, you may have some concerns about oral health. Your child should begin seeing a pediatric dentist after his first birthday. The dentist will monitor your child's development and make sure his teeth are coming in appropriately and staying healthy. You should begin to brush your baby's teeth with a wet baby toothbrush soon after his first tooth appears.
