Permanent teeth in children: when do they come?
The first permanent teeth usually appear when they start school. You can read here in which order the right teeth replace the milk teeth and what you should pay attention to during this time.
Permanent teeth: The front molars appear first
Even before the first milk tooth falls out, the first permanent teeth appear around the age of six to seven years. The first teeth to break through are molars, more precisely: the so-called sixes. These are wide molars far back in the oral cavity. Since they have no predecessor in the deciduous teeth, the children often do not notice that they are breaking through. But the sixes in particular should be cared for by the children, because they are important for an even jaw structure.
Permanent Teeth: Next come the incisors
Between the ages of six and eight, children lose their central incisors first, then their side teeth. Gradually, each milk tooth is replaced by a permanent tooth until the change of teeth is complete around the age of twelve. The roots of the milk teeth gradually dissolve during this phase. As a result, children’s teeth become loose and eventually fall out. Within a few weeks, permanent teeth grow into the resulting gaps.
Permanent teeth: Last come the back molars
With the eruption of the back molars, the so-called sevens, the permanent set of teeth is essentially complete: it now has 28 teeth. The wisdom teeth, the figure eights, only appear after the age of 18, if at all.
Take special care of permanent teeth
The enamel of the new teeth is not yet fully mineralized after the eruption and is therefore more susceptible to tooth decay. Loose milk teeth, tooth gaps and erupting teeth make oral hygiene difficult during the change of teeth. The result is an increased risk of caries. From the age of six, children are able to brush all surfaces of their teeth themselves, but they are not yet able to completely remove plaque. It is therefore advisable to brush your child’s permanent teeth again every day. You should pay special attention to the chewing surfaces of the newly erupting permanent molars. Because these lie deeper than the still existing milk molars for a long time. From when your child can really clean itself, you can find out in our article “When can my child clean by themselves? “ read.
Toothpaste and toothbrushing technique for permanent teeth
To protect the new permanent teeth from tooth decay, you should choose a toothpaste with a higher fluoride content (1,000 – 1,500 ppm) for your child from the age of seven. Toothbrushes with X-bristles or an electric toothbrush, which can reach into the spaces between the teeth and thus enable better removal of plaque, are particularly suitable for cleaning. You can find everything about the right toothpaste in our article “ The right toothpaste and other helpers ”. We provide information on the correct toothbrushing technique for milk teeth in our article “ How to brush milk teeth correctly ”. Check out our expert group “Dental care tips for children” and ask your questions to our experts.