Generally, tooth eruption is divided into 2 stages. Primary, or “baby” teeth first appear at 6-8 months, and all 20 are present by age 3. Secondary, or “permanent” teeth, appear around age 6. Between 12-14 years, all adult teeth are in place except for 12-year molars and wisdom teeth. (Wisdom teeth usually appear after age 17.)
While there are only 20 primary teeth, there are 32 secondary teeth—though few adult mouths have room for all 32 (This is why many wisdom teeth are pulled before, or as soon as, they appear). These teeth include the incisors, or front teeth; the canines or “fangs”; the premolars or bicuspids; and lastly the molars that make up the back teeth. To learn more about your child’s teeth, contact Austin R. Church DDS and Associates Pediatric Dentistry, or stop by to talk with our pediatric dentists in Fort Worth and Saginaw, Texas.
