Growing teeth

By the age of 3, your child should have grown a full set of milk teeth and then from the age of 5 or 6, these milk teeth will start to fall out and, in their place, will grow their adult teeth. The age they start falling out can vary dramatically from child to child and from reception up to year 2, this will most likely be a regular topic of conversation, with many a child coming home from school with a tooth wrapped in a tissue – poor teachers.

Your child may be a wobbler, and spend every waking hour wobbling any tooth that shows the slightly movement, while others may have a wobbly tooth for what seems like months, and you will be threatening them with the string and door trick – obviously you won’t actually do this but oh so tempting when they make a fuss at every mealtime. When their teeth do start falling out, their larger adult teeth will break through.

For some, they won’t look much different than their baby teeth, just slightly larger, where others… well they will grow into them.

The new adult tooth may seem jagged, this is completely normal and is called mamelons and can last up until around 25 years old.

It is thought these ridges just wear down over time when we eat etc, but if you are concerned then just mention it to the dentist on your next routine appointment. You may also notice that the new adult teeth are more yellow than the baby teeth they have replaced, this is not a sign of bad teeth hygiene, but permanent teeth have more dentin than baby teeth, the layer underneath the outer enamel, and this is more yellow in colour. If your child’s teeth are growing crooked and at an angle, then it is worth having a chat with your dentist as they may need braces.

Your dentist is likely to wait until your child is a teenager and their mouth and jaw has grown bigger but is still growing as improvements are more limited when they are an adult.

If you have any concerns, then do speak to your dentist.

By the age of 3, your child should have grown a full set of milk teeth and then from the age of 5 or 6, these milk teeth will start to fall