Dental development begins in the womb, and it is an ongoing process until the wisdom teeth arrive in the late teens or early 20s. From the early stages when babies cut their first teeth to the college years when students must recover from wisdom tooth extraction, dental development in the formative years is a journey. There is no set schedule for losing baby teeth, but there are general averages parents can look to as they help their children through the developmental rite of passage.
Prenatal
The buds of the deciduous, or baby, teeth develop as early as 6 weeks into the life of the embryo. At between 3 and 4 months, enamel builds up in the buds, forming the beginnings of what will be your baby's first real teeth, although they won't protrude from the gum until well after birth.
The First Tooth
Baby teeth seem to explode in the mouth over a period of just a few months. Generally, the first tooth appears by age 4 months. You should begin brushing the tooth as soon as it appears and schedule your baby's first dental appointment sometime in the first year, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
In most cases, the first tooth to appear is the central incisor in the middle of the lower front row of teeth. It is usually followed by its mate on the bottom jaw before the front row appears in the upper jaw, according to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.
Ages 1 to 2
Between the ages of 1 and 2, the rest of the deciduous teeth erupt, usually beginning with the first bottom molars. The first top molars follow. The upper incisors are generally next, about halfway through your baby's second year, followed by the upper and lower second molars.
Ages 6 to 8
The first teeth to appear are usually the first to go, sometime around the child's sixth birthday. When the lower incisors fall out, they are quickly replaced by the adult teeth. They are followed by the upper incisors. The entire turnover could take as long as two years or more. Meanwhile, the first permanent molars, first on the bottom jaw, then on the top, begin to erupt behind the deciduous molars.
Ages 9 to 11
The lower canines begin to fall out around age 9, and they are immediately replaced with adult teeth. It could take until age 10 until the upper canines fall out. The lower first deciduous molars fall out during this period, making room for the first permanent pre-molars. After age 10, the second deciduous molars go, giving way to the adult second premolars.
Ages 12 to 13
Any remaining deciduous teeth will fall out by age 12 or 13. The adult second molars erupt during this time. By the time your child turns 13 years of age, he should have 28 permanent teeth.
