Grownups have thirty-two permanent teeth. But when we’re kids, we have a total of twenty teeth, which are called, variously, baby teeth, milk teeth, primary teeth, and deciduous teeth. For a lifetime of dental health, kids’ need to be taken care of with pediatric dentistry, like what we offer at Summer Kids Dental in Las Vegas.
Primary teeth are smaller and whiter than adult teeth are. They usually start coming in between six and twelve months of age, and start falling out around the age of six or seven. Their roots are thinner and shorter than the roots of adult teeth, and the enamel is thinner.
Parents sometimes mistakenly think that since they’re going to fall out anyway, it isn’t all that important to take good care of primary teeth. But that first set of teeth is important for lots of reasons. They enable kids to chew their food, of course. Just as critical is that kids use the teeth as they learn to speak. They are also a kind of placeholder for the permanent teeth that come in later.
The first baby teeth to fall out are usually the central incisors, which are the front teeth. One by one, the baby teeth will loosen and fall out, with the last one going around the age of twelve. By then the permanent molars have come in.
If baby teeth are kept healthy during childhood, it paves the way for healthy permanent teeth. At Summer Kids Dental in Las Vegas, we practice pediatric dentistry, and are strong advocates of early dental care. We like to see our young patients every six months, just like adult patients. Schedule an appointment today.
Contact Summer Kids Dental:
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
10965 Lavender Hill Dr. Ste 120A
Las Vegas, NV
89135
