Permanent Tooth Eruption

Permanent tooth eruption is the process of tooth development which occurs over an approximate 7-year period, during which a child’s original baby teeth fall out and are replaced by the adult teeth. The primary (baby) teeth have usually emerged by the time a child is 3 years old, with 10 teeth residing in each jaw.

During this time, these first teeth are acting as placeholders for the permanent teeth soon to erupt. Permanent teeth typically begin erupting around age 6, although they may appear earlier or later, usually in correlation with when the baby teeth came in.

Most of the permanent teeth begin to erupt several seeks after the corresponding teeth fall out; however, while there are 20 baby teeth, ultimately 32 permanent teeth will emerge (16 in each jaw). Twelve of these teeth do not replace baby teeth.