WatchBaby Teeth & Bite Development
The baby tooth timeline, and what it tells an orthodontist
Baby teeth arrive in a fairly predictable order, and while every child sets their own pace, that order is worth knowing. Each primary tooth holds space for the permanent tooth behind it and helps steer the bite while it's still taking shape. Orthodontists pay as much attention to when these teeth show up as to when they leave.
The video runs through the sequence. It opens with the bottom two central incisors, which usually break through around six months old, and the top central incisors follow. A lateral incisor then fills in on either side of them. Around the first birthday the first molars typically arrive, canines take their turn after that, and the second molars close out the set around the second birthday.
Calling baby teeth disposable undersells them. Beyond letting your child chew and speak and helping a healthy bite develop, each one is reserving room for the adult tooth forming underneath. Lose one too early or out of turn and the teeth beside it can drift into the space, leaving the permanent tooth with too little room. Dr. Najjar may then recommend a space maintainer to hold that room until the adult tooth is ready.
Teeth arriving well ahead of this timeline, or well behind it, are worth an orthodontic look. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check-up by age 7, which lands while there's still natural growth to guide, so Dr. Najjar at NuLine Orthodontics can spot bite and spacing concerns in time to do something about them. Our early orthodontics page has the details.
Looking for the full guide to Early Orthodontics?
The questions patients ask most get answered there, along with what to expect, a step-by-step walk through the procedure, and the details on recovery and cost.
Read the Early Orthodontics guideFour Convenient Locations
NuLine Orthodontics has four offices across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Any of them can get you started.