Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned parent, knowing what to look for as your child’s adult teeth emerge helps you decide when to seek help and when to wait and see.
Dr. April Toyer, our board-certified pediatric dentist at Lifetime Dental Care in Woodbridge, Virginia, has years of experience helping little ones establish excellent oral hygiene and keeping their parents calm and informed throughout the process.
Here, she explains what to watch for as your child’s adult teeth come in and how to spot signs of trouble.
Most children start losing their baby teeth around age 6, and the process continues until they are around 12 years old. The first teeth to fall out are usually the lower central incisors — the two front teeth in the middle of the lower jaw — followed by the upper central incisors.
Adult teeth follow roughly the same schedule. Here’s a link to a handy chart to help you keep track of them.
Baby teeth aren’t just placeholders; they play a crucial role in speech development, chewing, and guiding adult teeth into their correct positions. Losing baby teeth too early can affect these functions, so let us know if your child’s teeth fall out sooner than expected.
Within a few weeks of baby teeth falling, new adult teeth should break through the gums. Keep an eye on your child’s gums to ensure the new teeth come in correctly.
Healthy adult tooth eruptions are symmetrical. If one side is lagging, it could suggest an underlying issue.
It’s normal for kids to experience some discomfort as their adult teeth come in, just as they did when their baby teeth arrived. Over-the-counter pain relief can help, but if the pain persists, consult us. Persistent pain could indicate other issues, like impacted teeth or infections.
We also want you to watch for proper alignment. Misaligned teeth can lead to problems like difficulty chewing, speech problems, and cavities.
Most adult teeth grow in with no problems, but some challenges can occur, like:
When there’s not enough space in the jaw for all of the adult teeth, they crowd together, causing crooked teeth and complicating oral hygiene.
Sometimes, adult teeth fail to emerge properly from the gums, becoming impacted. Wisdom teeth are notorious for becoming impacted, but impaction can occur with other teeth. Impacted teeth are painful and interfere with neighboring teeth.
New adult teeth are prone to cavities, especially if your child has a sweet tooth. Teach proper brushing and flossing techniques early, and see us regularly for fluoride treatments and dental sealants.
Regular dental checkups allow us to catch problems like misalignment or cavities in the early stages, when they’re most easily treated. We can use X-rays to see how the adult teeth are positioned below the gums and predict future problems.
We also give your kid the advantage of professional preventative care, including cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sealants.
Our team loves to help kids develop a positive relationship with the dental community and learn how to keep their teeth for a lifetime, but the real work starts at home. As a parent, you’re the primary teacher and can help them establish lifelong habits. Here are three ways to do that:
If your child’s adult teeth are erupting or you have concerns about them, call Lifetime Dental Care or book an appointment online.