06-04-2025
Though deciduous, or baby teeth, begin to form even before birth, the first baby tooth typically cuts through the gum line around 4 to 6 months of age. All 20 primary teeth should be fully erupted by the age of 31 months.
Key Takeaways
- Baby or primary teeth are also known as deciduous teeth
- There are typically 20 deciduous teeth.
- The first baby tooth usually erupts from the gums around 6 months of age.
- All 20 deciduous teeth should be fully erupted by the age of 31 months.
There are few things more rewarding than seeing your baby grin with their first baby tooth. Deciduous teeth are a milestone of their own as they make their debut to fill out your little one’s first toothy smile. Find out when you can expect all their deciduous teeth to come in, what their function is, and how to properly care for their new smile.
What are Deciduous Teeth?
Deciduous teeth are simply baby, or primary teeth. Deciduous teeth begin to develop in the womb and often start to make their smile debut around 6 months. There are typically 20 baby teeth in total and most erupt from the gum line by 3 years old.
What Do Deciduous Teeth Do?
Deciduous teeth set the foundation for your baby’s oral health and are key in their overall development. Baby teeth are responsible for a number of functions, including:
Eating: Deciduous teeth are key in facilitating chewing as they help with digestion to ensure your little one efficiently gets the nutrients they need.
Speaking: Primary teeth are important for speech development. They help facilitate clear speech and proper pronunciation of sounds and words.
Oral Health Foundation: Deciduous teeth maintain the space in the jaw that will later be occupied by their permanent teeth. Baby teeth are crucial for proper alignment and spacing, helping to ensure that their adult teeth come in correctly.
Appearance: Healthy and strong deciduous teeth help make up your child’s smile, while also aiding with their self-esteem and confidence.
How Many Deciduous Teeth are There
There are three types of deciduous, or primary teeth:
Incisors
Canines
Molars
There are 20 deciduous teeth that will make up your child’s smile before they wiggle out to make room for permanent teeth.
Eruption Sequence of Deciduous Teeth
Every child is unique and so is their teething timeline. Here’s when you can generally expect to see all of their deciduous teeth come in.
You can expect all of their baby teeth to come in by the age of 3, but some children may have all primary teeth fill out their smile before then.
Teething Expectations and Comfort Tips
Teething refers to the stage of development when your child’s deciduous or primary teeth begin to erupt from the gum line. Although all babies go through it, there may be some discomfort they’re bound to face.
To help prepare you for this stage of life, here are the common teething signs to watch out for:
Excessive saliva: Babies tend to drool a lot more during teething. Be wary of their sensitive skin during this time as the extra saliva can cause a teething or drool rash .
Irritability: Teething discomfort can cause your little one to become more cranky or fussy.
Routine disruptions: Sleep schedules and eating patterns can be affected during the teething process. Teething babies tend to fuss more at night since they are far less distracted and focus more on their discomfort. Baby-safe teething remedies like a chilled teether or even a cold spoon can help a teething baby sleep better at night.
Teething gums: As babies teethe, their gums become more red, swollen, and tender.
Increased chewing: To help relieve some of the pressure of teething on the gums, your little one may be more inclined to gnaw or chew on objects.
As your baby continues to teethe, there are several things you can do to help ease their discomfort. A few soothing tips to consider include:
Gum massages: Gently rub their gum line with a clean finger to help ease the pressure and tension.
Teethers: Offer chilled, not frozen, teething rings with ridges that your baby can chew on to soothe their tender gums. Opt for a firm, non-liquid filled option.
Gently brush: Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean and massage your baby’s gums and teeth. Specifically designed for babies 0-2, the Oral-B Manual Toothbrush Baby 0-2 Years Featuring Winnie the Pooh features extra-soft bristles for gentle cleaning and massaging your baby’s teeth and tender gums. It also comes with a cushioned head to further protect your baby’s gums while the ergonomic, non-slip handle is specially designed for parents’ hands for easier brushing.
Diet considerations: If they are of age, give your little one cool, soft foods such as yogurt to help ease some of the discomfort of teething gums.
Speak to a pro: Consult your pediatric medical professional to see if over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen can be used to help lessen any teething discomfort.
Distract them: Let your little one play with you, read a book, or give them their favorite toy to help take their mind off of any discomfort caused by teething.
When Do Deciduous Teeth Fall Out?
Deciduous teeth set the tone for your child’s overall oral health as they help maintain space in the jaw for permanent teeth. Here’s what you can expect as their smile transitions from baby teeth to adult teeth:
Wobbly teeth: Primary teeth become loose as adult teeth begin to develop underneath the gum line.
First to fall out: Usually, the front teeth, also known as the central incisors, are the first baby teeth to fall out. They are then followed by the lateral incisors, first molars, canines, and then second molars.
Longer timeline: Adult teeth come in across a broader period of time than baby teeth. Usually, the final adult teeth to come in are the wisdom teeth, which can happen up to the age of 21.
Here’s when you can expect their baby teeth to start falling out to make way for their permanent, adult teeth.
Importance of Deciduous Teeth in the Development of the Oral Cavity
Deciduous teeth help your child chew their food, speak, and they set the foundation for permanent teeth by reserving space in the jaw allowing them to erupt correctly.
Taking care of your child’s deciduous teeth is just as important as caring for their permanent, or adult teeth. Be sure to brush your child’s teeth until the age of 6 to help them learn good brushing habits early on.
When to See a Dental Professional
Although caring for your child’s new smile is fairly straightforward, there are instances where you may need to visit your pediatric dental professional. These include:
Delayed eruption: Deciduous teeth start to come in between the ages of 4 to 6 months. See your dental professional right away if you’re not seeing any baby teeth erupt by 18 months of age.
Tooth loss: If a tooth starts to wobble earlier than it should on average or if your little one experiences any toothaches, it’s important to schedule a dental visit for further diagnosis and treatment.
Tooth decay: Cavities in children are a primary concern for most parents and caregivers. If your child experiences any form of tooth decay or tooth damage, it’s important to get dental care treatment right away.
Caring for Deciduous Teeth
It is recommended that you start brushing deciduous teeth as soon as that first tooth erupts. Use an extra-soft bristled toothbrush like the Oral-B Manual Toothbrush Baby 0-2 Years Featuring Winnie the Pooh to gently clean baby teeth and tender gums.
Follow these steps when brushing your child’s teeth when they’re 3+:
Brush teeth along the gum line for 2 minutes, 2X/day with an electric toothbrush equipped with extra-soft bristles. Oral-B offers a variety of kid-friendly electric toothbrush options featuring their favorite characters and extra-soft bristles for gentle cleaning.
Let the electric toothbrush do the work for you—simply glide it across all surfaces your child’s teeth, including the front, back and chewing surfaces. There’s no need to scrub!
Kid’s Oral Care Recommendations
Complete Your Child’s Oral Care Routine
Brush your baby’s tender gums and teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush for baby ages 0-2 twice a day for two minutes each session
Switch to an electric toothbrush once your child is 3 to remove more plaque for healthy teeth and gums such as the Oral-B Kids Electric Toothbrush for kids ages 3+ featuring Disney and Marvel characters.
Encourage healthy habits with the Disney Magic Timer App which helps kids brush up to 2X longer.
Visit their dental professional twice a year for professional cleanings and checkups.
Equip your kids’ oral care routine with the toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash that’s right for them.
FAQs
What is the difference between primary and deciduous teeth?
What are the 20 deciduous teeth?
What are deciduous teeth caries?
Sources
About Our Medical Reviewers
Dr Robert Lee is a dentist with more than thirty years of experience in the industry.
Graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery and from the University of New South Wales with a Master of Business Administration, Robert’s career has taken him all over the world – from Australia to Germany to his current position in Chicago, where he is the founder of Denticus Inc., offering strategic dental consulting.
Robert has previously worked for Procter & Gamble as the Director of Professional Scientific Relations in both the Cincinnati and Sydney offices, being responsible for external relations and scientific exchange with leading professional associations and industry thought leaders. He was also responsible for all technical and scientific training for the professional teams in North America and Australia.
Robert has been assisting the team at Oral-B by fact-checking and reviewing our blogs on dental health.
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