MILK TEETH
Twenty, by about 2 to 3
Most babies start teething at around 6 months, front teeth first. The NHS says most children have all their milk teeth by 2 to 3 years.
Meet the four kindsTeeth arrive in two sets, years apart.
Milk teeth usually start at about 6 months and are all in by around 2 to 3 years. Adult teeth begin at about 6 years, and the wisdom teeth, last of all, usually come in the late teens or 20s, sometimes later or not at all.
- Front teeth first
- Back molars at six
- Wisdom teeth last
- Rough ages, every mouth differs
THE SHORT ANSWER
Two sets,
in a rough order.
Ages are averages from NHS and dental charity guides.
Every child's timing is a little different.
ADULT TEETH
Thirty-two, from about 6
The first adult teeth are the first molars, which come in behind the milk teeth at about 6 and replace none of them.
See the order
WISDOM TEETH
Last, and not for everyone
The NHS says wisdom teeth usually start coming through in your teens or early 20s. The Oral Health Foundation notes some people never get them.
See the numbersGeneral information only, not medical advice. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
THE USUAL ORDER
From the front,
then to the back.
The NHS and the Oral Health Foundation give the same rough order for milk teeth. Adult teeth follow their own sequence, starting at the back.
About 6 to 8 months
Central incisors, then the lateral incisors either side. Bottom teeth often come before the matching top ones.
About 12 to 24 months
First milk molars at around 12 months, canines at around 18 months and second milk molars at around 24 months.
About 6 to 13 years
First adult molars at about 6, then incisors, canines and premolars as milk teeth fall out, and second molars at about 12.
Late teens and 20s
Wisdom teeth, the third molars, usually arrive last, if they come at all.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Count them
twice in a lifetime.
One number for each set of teeth,
from the anatomy notes dental students use.
20 teeth
Teeth in the primary set
Ten in each jaw: in each quarter of the mouth two incisors, one canine and two molars. They begin to erupt at about 6 months of age.
MILK TEETH · TEACHMEANATOMY
32 teeth
Teeth in the permanent set
Sixteen in each jaw: two incisors, a canine, two premolars and three molars per quarter. They start at about 6 and are complete by about 13, apart from wisdom teeth.
ADULT TEETH · TEACHMEANATOMY
Timings are rough guides. The NHS says some babies start teething before 4 months and some after 12 months, and a few are born with a tooth.
THE FOUR KINDS OF TEETH
Which tooth
does what?
Pick a kind of tooth to see what it is for and when it usually arrives. The bar shows how many of that kind a full adult set has.
Based on anatomy teaching notes and the Oral Health Foundation's eruption guide. General information only, not dental advice.
INSIDE A TOOTH
Enamel outside,
dentine within.
The crown of a tooth is covered in enamel, a hard, highly mineralised tissue that protects the living parts inside. The root is covered by a different tissue called cementum.
Beneath both lies dentine, a living tissue with nerves that makes up most of the tooth. At the centre, the pulp holds the tooth's nerves and blood vessels.
In conversation
Questions people ask
How many milk teeth do children have?
Twenty: in each jaw two central incisors, two lateral incisors, two canines and four molars. The Oral Health Foundation says most children have them all by around 2½ years; the NHS says by 2 to 3 years.
When do babies usually start teething?
The NHS says most babies start at around 6 months, but some start before 4 months and others after 12 months, and some are even born with a tooth.
Which adult teeth come through first?
The first molars, at about 6 years. The Oral Health Foundation notes that they come in behind the milk teeth and do not replace any of them.
When do wisdom teeth come through?
The NHS says they usually start coming through in the teens or early 20s. The Oral Health Foundation gives 18 to 25 as usual, sometimes later or not at all.
Do milk teeth matter if they fall out anyway?
NHS guidance says to start brushing as soon as the first milk tooth breaks through and to take a child to the dentist when milk teeth appear, or before their first birthday.
Sources
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below.