Losing the First Baby Tooth
posted: Sep. 04, 2020.
How your pediatric dentist in Burbank, CA can help with your child’s smile
When you have a baby, there are so many questions. There are even more questions when your baby turns into a toddler or a young child. Your pediatric dentist can help through it all, giving your children the dental care they need and the advice you want.
Your pediatric dentist, Dr. Hamlet Avanesian, at Burbank Pediatric Dentistry in Burbank, CA is an expert at providing dental care for babies through young children and can help with your child’s smile.
Tooth Eruption
Your child will have several dental milestones, and you will have many questions, including when your child’s first tooth will erupt, and what happens after your child loses the first baby tooth.
There are average tooth eruption times for children, but they are just an average. Delayed eruption and delayed tooth loss are common, and normal, in most cases.
Typically, children have 20 primary teeth, with the lower central front teeth erupting first, at around 6 to 10 months. These are followed by the upper central front teeth at 8 to 12 months.
The lower lateral front teeth come next, at 10 to 16 months, followed by the upper lateral front teeth at 9 to 13 months. The lower canines erupt at 17 to 23 months, with the upper canines following at 16 to 22 months.
Eruption continues with the first and second lower primary molars erupting between 14 and 31 months. The upper first and second primary molars erupt between 13 and 33 months.
As you can see, the eruption patterns can vary by several months, and losing the first baby tooth can vary widely too. The first teeth which are lost are typically the two lower central teeth at around the age of 6. These are followed by the upper central teeth, and then the lower lateral front teeth, followed by the upper lateral front teeth, and so on. The last teeth to be lost are usually the primary second molars.
Primary teeth usually are lost because a permanent tooth is erupting underneath them and pushing them out of the way. Sometimes primary teeth are lost due to decay or other reasons, and in these cases, your pediatric dentist may recommend a space maintainer to keep the space open for the permanent tooth. This helps prevent crowding and other alignment issues.
Losing a first baby tooth is an important dental milestone for your child, signaling that the permanent teeth are on their way. It’s a great time to seek out the help of your pediatric dentist in Burbank CA to help ensure your child retains a healthy smile into adulthood.
To find out more about your child’s smile, talk with an expert, your pediatric dentist, Dr. Hamlet Avanesian. Just call Burbank Pediatric Dentistry in Burbank, CA at (818) 659-7772. Call today!