Tooth Eruption & Primary Teeth

by Adriana Jaramillo DDS & Carlos A Jaramillo IV

Primary teeth are your child’s temporary teeth, present from about 6 months old to about 12 years of age. Throughout these growing years, they will be replaced at different intervals by their permanent teeth while the jaw bones grow and the permanent teeth mature.

Primary teeth are very important for the several reasons:

• They help the child chew food easily
• They help the child speak properly
• They keep space in the jaws for permanent teeth

At this early stage in your child’s development, the importance of keeping their primary teeth clean and healthy cannot be stressed enough. Healthy primary dentition helps avoid serious and costly problems later on, including:

• Cavities and pain
• Infections which can damage the permanent teeth found developing below them
• Loss of primary teeth and subsequent loss of the space for the permanent replacements causing further concerns such as misalignment and a poor bite

There are several things you can and should do in order to maintain healthy primary teeth and avoid serious problems for your child.

Care for a child’s teeth should start as soon as the first primary teeth appear in the mouth which is about 6 months of age.

The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child’s first dental visit be at about one year of age. At this time, the child will be introduced to the dental team, and we will review appropriate home care for your child’s teeth.

It is important to set regular dental visits from an early age, establishing a habit of dental health for their entire life. Regular visits will help establish and confirm prevention routines and practices for the future of your child’s oral health.

For more information visit:

• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: Dental Care for Your Baby | Preventive Dentistry
• American Dental Association: Baby Teeth | Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
• Wisconsin Dental Association: Guidelines for parents & caregivers

For additional dental health resources visit our index of resources

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