When will my child's teeth erupt?
The age at which teeth erupt into your child's mouth varies widely among different children.
Babies are born with their primary (baby) teeth formed underneath the gums, but these baby teeth do not start appearing until many months later. In general, the first baby teeth to erupt are usually the lower front teeth, and they come in between the ages of 6-10 months. Although all 20 primary teeth usually appear by age 3, the pace and order of their eruption varies from child to child.
Your child's first permanent (adult) teeth begin appearing around age 6, starting with the first molars and the lower front teeth. These are important teeth because they help shape the lower part of your child’s face, as well as affect the position of your child's other permanent teeth. Thereafter, your child's baby teeth will begin to fall out (exfoliate) to make room for his/her permanent teeth. Around the age of 12, your child may have a full set of permanent teeth, having lost all his/her baby teeth. Wisdom teeth, or 3rd molars, usually appear between the ages 17 and 21. Oftentimes, these teeth become impacted and will require extraction.