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Development / Eruption Guide

Each of your child’s teeth has a job to perform. Each tooth is a different shape and size, and it’s no coincidence that they’re located in exactly the right spot in our mouths! Your child’s teeth are arranged perfectly to help him or her to speak, smile, and chew food. Our teeth also give our faces and smiles their unique shapes and forms.

Primary Teeth Eruption Guide

Each child has 20 primary teeth (which are also known as baby teeth), and these teeth will usually begin to emerge around 6 months of age. Once your child reaches 4 or 5 years of age, their face and jawbones will undergo a growth spurt. As this happens, you’ll begin to notice small spaces beginning to form between your child’s baby teeth. These spaces are there to provide room for the adult teeth to come in.

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Adult Teeth Eruption Guide

By the time your child has reached the age of 13 years old, he or she will have most of his or her 28 permanent teeth. The 4 wisdom teeth will start to grow in sometime between the ages of 17-21 years. With the addition of the wisdom teeth, your child’s total adult tooth count will reach 32!  

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Please remember that these guides are simply estimates. We don’t want you to worry if the eruption of your child’s teeth is a bit different from the above guides. We are more concerned about the pattern than the exact age of each tooth growing in. Each child is different, so don’t worry if your children’s teeth are erupting at different times.

If you have questions or concerns about the way your little one’s teeth are erupting, please contact Piedmont Pediatric Dentistry. We’re here to put your mind at ease and make sure your child’s teeth are erupting normally and on time!