Typically the first baby teeth to come into the mouth are the two bottom front teeth. Although each child develops differently, you will notice this when your baby is about six to eight months old.
Tooth Eruption
Information about your child’s baby teeth
Next to follow will be the four upper front teeth and the remainder of your baby’s teeth will appear periodically. They will usually appear in pairs along the sides of the jaw until the child is about 2-1/2 years old.
At around 2-1/2 years old, your child should have all 20 teeth. Between the ages of five and six, the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth and some don’t. Don’t worry if some teeth are a few months early or late as all children are different.
Once your child’s teeth begin erupting, you can begin cleaning them by wiping them with a moist washcloth. As your child gets more teeth, you can begin to use a soft child’s toothbrush. You should use just a pea-sized amount of fluoride free toothpaste (such as Baby OraGel Training Toothpaste) until your child is able to spit it out as too much fluoride can stain their teeth.
By age two or three begin teaching your child to brush. You will still need to brush after they do to ensure you’ve brushed where they’ve missed.
Baby teeth are important as they not only hold space for permanent teeth, but they are important to chewing, biting, speech, and appearance.
For this reason it is important to maintain a healthy diet and daily hygiene.
