Teeth First! Teeth First!
TeethFirst!

Which Teeth and When? A Parent's Guide

At around the age of 6 months to 10 months, your baby’s first teeth will appear. This is called teething.

The lower teeth usually come in first, so be on the lookout! Once your baby's teeth appear, it's time to start brushing them gently with a smear (the size of a grain of rice) of fluoride toothpaste on an infant-sized toothbrush.

Use this chart to see which teeth will come in first and when:

Click the image to enlarge the graphic or click here to view the pdf.

Remember that every child is different; so if your baby's teeth come in a different order, don't worry.

Visiting the dentist

No matter how many teeth your baby has (or even if she doesn’t have any yet!), bring your baby to the dentist by her first birthday. Going to the dentist by age one will help make sure your baby's teeth start healthy and stay healthy. This first visit gives you a chance to ask questions, and it helps your baby start to recognize the dentist and dentist office as a nice place with nice people. It also gives the dentist and you a chance to make sure your baby's teeth and mouth are healthy.

After all baby teeth have appeared

By around 4 years old, your child's jaw and facial bones will start to grow bigger to make room for adult teeth to come in.

Between the ages of 6 years and 12 years, your child will lose her baby teeth. During these years, she'll have both adult and baby teeth in her mouth at the same time. When baby teeth fall out, they can come out in any order.

By around age 12, your child will have a set of 28 permanent, adult teeth.

Taking care of your child’s teeth

To make sure your child's teeth start and stay healthy, make sure you are caring for them regularly at home.

Help your child brush her teeth twice a day. Children under age 8 need some help from an adult to make sure they're doing a good job.

Baby teeth are important. Care for them like you would care for adult teeth.

Take your child to the dentist twice a year for regular checkups. Check your child's mouth regularly, and if you see something that worries you, call her dentist right away, even if it’s between regularly scheduled appointments.

TeethFirst! Creating healthy smiles for a lifetime.