The Dentition
The Development Of The Milk Teeth
Starting at 6 months, the teeth of the milk teeth begin to develop in a child. The diagram below shows exactly when the teeth break through.
1. Milk incisor, breaks through between 6 and 9 months.
2. Milk incisor, breaks through at 12 months.
3. Milk canine tooth, breaks through at 20 months.
4. Milk tooth, breaks through 16 months.
5. Milk tooth, breaks through between 12 and 30 months.
The Changing of the Milk Teeth
At the age of 5 or 6, the changing of teeth begins in a child. The process usually begins with the front teeth changing, and so over the years the entire set of teeth changes. The changing process takes an average of six years. The roots dissolve, the crowns fall out and the permanent teeth take their place.
The Adult Teeth
The first molar of the new adult teeth usually breaks through when the child is 6 years old. It then joins behind the milk teeth. By age 12 to 14, the process is complete except for 1 kind of molar. The last molars, which sometimes don’t come at all, break through at age 18 to 21 and are called wisdom teeth. The complete permanent teeth then consist of 32 teeth, 16 above and 16 below.