Tooth eruption – milk teeth and first permanent molars 6 - 8 months 8 - 12 months 14 -16 months 17-19 months 2-3 years 5-7 years (molars) The early years The first milk teeth usually come through when babies are 6-8 months old, but with great individual differences. New milk teeth continue to erupt until around three years of age. At 5-7 years old, children start losing their milk teeth and keep losing them until they are 10-12. As milk teeth go, they are replaced by adult teeth. During the transition between new teeth and wiggly teeth that will eventually fall out, the mouth may feel sore. Even though milk teeth are replaced, it’s important to keep them healthy. Tooth decay (caries/cavities) in the milk teeth increases the risk of tooth decay in the adult teeth. When children get their first front adult teeth (at age 5-7), they’ll also get their first molars (the larger teeth at the back). It’s easy to miss molars coming in and forget to brush them, which is part of the reason they are most affected by tooth decay. Keep an eye open for them!
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