How long does it take for the teeth to grow?

When it comes to the oral health of children, the most common question parents have is “how long does it take for the teeth to grow”. Understanding all the facets of the development of teeth in young children is important for parents to be assured of their overall well being and body development. It helps in determining the kind of food a child can consume and what dental practices will be healthy for them at that stage of life.

Temporary teeth

While the tooth bud formation begins weeks after the baby is conceived, they do not erupt until after the birth. An exception to this is some children being born with a set of teeth known as natal teeth. This may be due to any medical condition.

At the age of 2, most children have a full set of 20 functional teeth. These primary teeth are now she’d to make way for the permanent teeth.

Permanent Teeth

Shedding of the teeth may take years. The eruption of permanent teeth is simultaneous with the development of the mouth.  The time gap between falling out of the baby teeth and the eruption of permanent ones may be as long as six months.

The shedding of baby teeth usually begins at the age of six or seven in most individuals. The first kind of teeth to develop at this age is the molars. Incisors start developing after this and continue till age 9. Premolars in the upper jaw usually appear at the age of 10 while those in the lower jaw appear between the ages 10-12. Canines and second molars develop after that. The process continues until the age of 13 to 14. After this, the child enters the puberty stage.

The average age for an individual to acquire all the 32 teeth is believed to be 21 years. In case of a tooth extraction by a professional, it may be weeks before the new tooth grows back.

A lot of people from the age group 13- 40 experience the eruption of a third molar set, commonly known as the wisdom teeth. They are the last out of all the teeth to emerge. Many people prefer getting their wisdom teeth extracted to avoid the pain they can cause.

Knowing about this timeline is important as there might be cases when the permanent teeth do not appear after the falling of the temporary ones. The permanent teeth can sometimes grow in the wrong direction, or there might not be enough space available for the new teeth to grow in. There are medical procedures that can help your child with this.

Consulting a paediatrician is important if the permanent teeth do not develop at the right age as it can lead to various dental health problems like a tooth gap or some gum diseases.

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