Children's toothbrushes in a cup beside a brushing timer

Quick answer

Baby teeth typically arrive between six months and three years (bottom front first, second molars last), and fall out between about six and twelve years, in roughly the order they arrived, as thirty-two adult teeth replace and extend them. The dates vary enormously and matter less than the pattern; early or late by a year is usually fine. Worth a dental check: no teeth by 18 months, baby teeth lost very early to decay or injury (the gap needs minding), an adult tooth arriving while the baby tooth still sits firm ('shark teeth', usually resolving), or nothing wobbly by around age eight.

Coming in (roughly 6 months to 3 years)

Bottom front pair first (around 6 to 10 months), top front four next, then first molars around the first birthday, canines through the second year, and the second molars, the two-year molars of legend, finishing the set of twenty by around two and a half to three. Every date carries months of normal variation in each direction; the pattern completing matters more than any milestone.

Going out (roughly 6 to 12 years)

The same order, in reverse decade: front teeth wobble loose around six to seven, the side teeth follow, and the baby molars and canines exit between nine and twelve. Meanwhile the adult first molars arrive around six BEHIND the baby teeth, replacing nobody, which is why they're missed so often at brushing time; they're new territory, not replacements.

Wobbly-tooth etiquette

Let the child wiggle it out themselves over days; it's designed to let go painlessly when ready. String-and-door theatrics are for family folklore, not dental advice. A tooth knocked out by accident rather than nature is different: baby teeth are NOT re-implanted (it can damage the adult tooth beneath), but the knock deserves a dental look, especially if other teeth loosened.

The quirks worth a check

  • Nothing by 18 months: usually just a late schedule; a check settles it
  • 'Shark teeth': an adult incisor arriving behind a still-firm baby tooth looks alarming and usually self-resolves as the baby tooth loosens; if the baby tooth stays rock-solid for months, we help it along
  • A baby tooth lost YEARS early (decay or accident): the space needs minding, sometimes with a small space maintainer, or neighbours drift into the gap the adult tooth was booked for
  • Nothing wobbly by eight, or a lopsided schedule (one side far ahead): worth an X-ray look at what's queued underneath
Baby teeth are not disposable practice teeth: they hold space, guide jaw growth and steer the adult teeth into position, which is why decay in a four-year-old matters and why the CDBS makes treating it free for eligible families. The age-7 orthodontic check rides on this timeline too.