Tooth Development, Primary Health Article

Definition

Primary dental development involves the development of the primary, first, or baby teeth.

Description

The primary teeth usually begin to appear about six months after birth. Most children have all 20 primary teeth by age two. The eruption of teeth is associated with teething, a process often causing symptoms such as drooling, disturbed sleep, irritability, swollen gums, and, sometimes, a low-grade fever. While there are typical patterns of tooth eruption, these patterns can vary greatly from child to child.

Tooth development in the upper jaw

The primary teeth in the upper jaw are:

• Central incisors, which erupt between ages 7 and 12 months and fall out around 6 to 8 years of age.
• Lateral incisors, erupting between 9 and 13 months of age and falling out by the time a child reaches 7 or 8 years of age.
• Canines or cuspids, which appear around 16 to 22 months of age and fall out at 10 to 12 years old.

• First molars, emerging between 18 and 19 months and falling out at 9 to 11 years of age.
• Second molars, which come in at 25 to 33 months old and fall out at 10 to 12 years of age.