Teeth differ in size, form and their positioning in the human jaw. The natural placement of teeth helps perform their basic functions of chewing and giving the mouth an anchor. They also provide the added aesthetic element during a smile or a laugh and give the face a proper shape. From the average age of 6 months, babies start teething, allowing the teeth hidden in the gums to cut their way out. These baby teeth fall out during childhood to be replaced by a permanent set of teeth.
What Are the Baby Teeth Order?
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Teeth Order |
Time of Occurrence |
Functions |
|---|---|---|
|
Lower central incisors
|
These emerge first in most cases. There is no hard and fast rule as to when these come out, but on an average, your baby’s first teeth would emerge as the age of 5–10 months. |
The first to erupt, these are the teeth that help the child in biting. When complete, a row of incisors can help take a bite out of a certain food before chewing it. |
|
Upper central incisors
|
Between 6 to 12 months of age, these two incisors make the next appearance in your child’s mouth. Since teeth usually emerge in pairs, these will be coming out side by side. |
These perform the same function as the lower central incisors do. The two sets of teeth work together in taking a bite out of the food that the baby is eating. |
|
Upper lateral incisors
|
These two teeth separated by the upper central incisors would come out during the span of 9–13 months. The first row of four teeth is then completed. |
These assist the lower and upper central incisors in taking small bites out of food. |
|
Lower lateral incisors
|
These are next in line. Separated by the lower central incisors, these teeth come out at the age of 10 to 16 months. This enables your baby to flash a big toothy smile. |
These also serve the same function in biting. The row of four incisors, top and bottom work together as a team to take bites out of food. They alone cannot serve the purpose of chewing. |
|
Upper first molars
|
These square molars come out between 12–18 months of age. These are particularly painful. |
Also known as pre-molars or bicuspids, these teeth are used in chewing and grinding of food that is bitten off by the incisors. |
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Lower first molars
|
Just like the upper first molars, these two appear between the time span of 12 to 18 months. They cause the baby the most distress as molars are particularly hard to come out. |
Since there are four premolars, two on the top and two on the bottom, these all serve the function of chewing and grinding food. |
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Upper canine
|
These small pointed teeth come out next filling the gap between the incisors and the molars. A little late in their appearance compared to the other teeth, these come out on a timeline of 16 to 22 months. |
These are the sharpest teeth. In carnivores, these are made use of to tear the meat apart. In humans, they serve the same purpose of tearing relatively hard food apart. They sometimes also assist the incisors in biting hard food. |
|
Lower canine
|
They make an appearance when your baby is 16–22 months of age. |
These work with the upper pair of canines to tear and rip food apart so that the molars can chew it. |
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Lower second molar
|
Between 21 to 30 months, these are first to appear before the upper second molars. |
These are also used for chewing and grinding food. |
|
Upper second molar
|
These are your baby’s final two teeth. These appear between 25 to 33 months of age. Your child now has a full set of teeth. |
Standing next to the upper premolars, these teeth help in the act of chewing and grinding food. |
How to Take Care of Baby Teeth
1. Caring for Your Baby’s Gums
Caring for your baby’s gums before he or she starts teething is important. At this stage, things that are softer than a toothbrush and toothpaste accomplish this task. Some people also use a piece of gauze to clean their baby’s gums while others use a soft damp cloth.
To keep your baby’s gums clean and hygienic throughout the day, they must be cleaned with the damp cloth at least twice a day. This is needed especially after a meal or at the start or end of a day. Just as you would care for your own teeth by brushing them, care for your child’s teeth by wiping the small cloth on his or her gums.
2. Brushing Your Baby’s Teeth
Once the teeth make an appearance, then you can put away the moistened cloth and pick up a toothbrush. Even then, choose one that has soft bristles and a small head so that it does not cause your baby any inconvenience. It should also have a large handle to allow you to safely maneuver it in your baby’s small mouth. His/Her teeth are more sensitive and brittle than yours, so you need to handle them with extra care.
Before the age of one, do not use toothpaste. However, when your child has grown up and is above the age of one, use a pea-sized amount. His gums are still sensitive, so a large amount of harsh toothpaste might disturb them. Do not use fluoride toothpaste until your child is at least two years old. Regularly brush your child’s teeth until he or she can do that un-administered, which is usually by the age of six or seven.
Keep a wary eye out for signs of tooth decay in your child’s mouth. Your child should go to the dentist quite regularly starting from his first check up at the age of one.
If you want to have a vivid picture of how to take care of your baby’s teeth, you can watch the video below: