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Dental Development

All twenty baby (or primary) teeth come in by the time your child is two or three years old.

Primary Teeth

This chart tells you when baby teeth come in (or erupt) in most children.

If your child is getting his or her teeth and seems to be in pain, you can:

• rub the gums with a clean finger, or
• rub the gums with the back of a small, cool spoon.
• If your child is still unhappy, your dentist, pharmacist or doctor can suggest an over-the-counter medicine to ease the pain.

Here’s what you should not do:

• Do not use the kind of painkiller that can be rubbed on your child’s gums. Your child may swallow it.
• Do not give your child teething biscuits. They may have sugar added or contain hidden sugars.
• Do not ignore a fever. Getting new teeth does not make babies sick or give them a fever. If your child has a fever, check with your doctor.

Permanent Teeth

At age six or seven, the first adult (or permanent) teeth come in. They are known as the “first molars,” or the “six-year molars.”

They come in at the back of the mouth, behind the last baby (or primary) teeth. They do not replace any primary teeth.

Also at around age six, children start to lose their primary teeth. The roots slowly get weak, and the tooth falls out. Children lose primary teeth until they are about 12 years old.

It’s okay for children to wiggle their primary teeth if they are loose. But it’s not okay to use force to pull out a tooth that’s not ready to come out. When a tooth comes out at the right time, there will be very little bleeding.

Why do the new permanent teeth look yellow?

Permanent teeth often look more yellow than primary teeth. This is normal. But it could also be caused by medicine your child took, by an accident that hurt a primary tooth, or by too much fluoride. Ask your dentist about this when you go for a check-up.

Healthy Gums

Cavities are the main problem children have with their teeth. But children can get gum disease too, just like adults. It happens when the gums that hold our teeth in place get infected.

Daily brushing and flossing can stop gum disease. If your child’s gums bleed, don’t stop brushing. If the gums are always swollen, sore or bleeding, there may be a serious problem. You should take your child to the dentist.

Dental Safety

Here are some ways to protect your child’s teeth:

• Always use infant car seats and seat belts when you drive.
• Babies will chew on almost anything. Keep them away from hard things that could crack their teeth.
• Children fall a lot when they are learning to walk. Teeth can break, crack, get knocked out or become loose. See your dentist if this happens.

If you have questions about your child’s teeth, talk to your dentist.

In addition to plaque, there are several factors that can increase your risk of developing gum disease. They include:

• Smoking. In addition to increasing your risk of many serious illnesses such as cancer, lung disease, and heart disease, smoking also increases your risk of gum disease.
• Hormonal changes. Women are especially at risk of gum disease during times of hormonal change such as during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
• Nutrition. A poorly-balanced diet can increase your risk of developing gum disease.
• Medications. Some drugs may increase your risk of gum disease, such as birth control pills and high blood pressure and arthritis medications.

The health of your gums and teeth is important to your overall health, well-being, and appearance. At its most serious, gum disease can cause pain, abscesses, difficulty in eating, bad breath, and a loss of teeth.

There is a strong link between gum disease and diabetes. People with diabetes are not only more at risk of gum disease, but gum disease can also affect the severity of their diabetes, putting them more at risk of diabetic complications later on in life.

The same bacteria found in plaque can also be inhaled into the lungs where they may cause an infection or aggravate any existing lung condition, especially in older adults. This can happen even if you don’t have serious gum disease, but have lots of plaque.

Studies are also examining whether pregnant women with gum disease, including gingivitis, may be at a higher risk of delivering pre-term, low birth weight (PLBW) babies than women without gum disease. Even though this research is still ongoing, it remains important for pregnant women to take care of their gums and teeth.