Permanent Tooth Eruption Schedule

Recently we talked about when you should begin to see your child’s first teeth start to break through; now let’s discuss those all important permanent teeth. After the primary or baby teeth are all in, most Mom and Dads probably don’t give much thought as to when they should start to fall out and the permanent teeth begin to make an appearance. The first permanent teeth commonly start to come in around the age of 6 and they don’t erupt in the same order as the primary teeth. For example, generally the first baby teeth to come in are the lower and upper central incisors, better known as the front teeth. For the permanent teeth, both the top and bottom first molar will almost always emerge first, then the central incisors around the age of 7 and 8, followed by the lateral incisors between the ages of 8 and 9.

The canine teeth are next to show up but for some reason the bottom cuspid generally arrives when the child is around 9 or 10 while the top cuspid doesn’t make its debut until about a year later. Both the first and second premolars, or bicuspids, can push through anytime from the ages of 10 until the age of 12 and then look for the second molar between the ages of 12 and 13.

By the age of 14 most children will have 28 teeth and then the teeth take a break for several years until the emergence of the third set of molars or wisdom teeth. Anywhere from one to four wisdom teeth typically arrive between the ages of 17 to 25 i.e., the age of wisdom. Research has shown while approximately 95 percent of all adults eventually get wisdom teeth, 90 percent of these teeth will either be partially or totally impacted and almost always require oral surgery.

While your child’s teeth are coming in make sure they stay healthy by contacting Ellis Dental today to schedule a checkup. Depending on their age we can also look to see how those pesky wisdom teeth are doing.

How a Parent’s Dental Health can Affect Their Children

Growing up you probably heard your parents say, “Do as I say, not as I do” and swore when you had kids you would never repeat that same sentence. Now as you drink sugary sodas, eat chewy sticky candy and keep putting off that long neglected dental appointment, you hear those same words coming out of your mouth. As a parent it is important to teach your child good oral health beginning at an early age. But as we all know, children learn through example. If they don’t see you taking care of your teeth along with getting regular dental exams, chances are pretty good they won’t understand just how important good dental health really is. Studies have shown definite correlation between the frequency of tooth brushing in a parent and the same degree of frequency of tooth brushing in their children. Research has also determined both oral hygiene skills and a parent’s attitude toward oral hygiene play a major role in a child accepting brushing and flossing as part of their daily routine.

Often because of wide array of socioeconomic reasons, including not being taught proper dental care when they themselves were children, cost of dental procedures, lack of dental insurance and not understanding the importance of primary teeth, new parents have to be educated on how to care for their child’s teeth. Today, many pediatricians have begun teaching parents on how tooth decay can affect their child’s overall general health. They also are strongly suggesting a child have their first dental appointment between the ages of 12 to 18 months.

Ellis Dental accepts new patients of all ages and would be proud to be your child’s oral health care provider, they even offer well baby exams at no charge for all children under the age of 2.  With two small children of her own, Dr. Ellis understands completely the challenges parents can face when it comes to teaching their children proper dental care. Please call us today at 314.965.1334 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

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