Molars in children - the order and timing of the eruption of permanent teeth, at what age they change

Milk and molar teeth in children

Many people believe that there are no differences between permanent and temporary teeth, but this is not true. So, how to distinguish a baby tooth from a molar? At a minimum, their number differs (milk - 20, permanent, as a rule, 32). Temporary teeth have a light shade, while permanent teeth are naturally more yellow. Indigenous ones are also significantly larger in size than dairy ones - visually it is quite easy to distinguish them. Here are the most common questions asked by Internet users on this topic.

Do children have molars?
Of course, there are, and at a certain point they begin to actively erupt.
How many molars do children have?
From 28 to 32 (the maximum set appears after all eights appear).
Which molars appear first in a child?
Typically, the lower central incisor erupts first.
At what age do children start to get their molars?
Usually, dentition renewal begins after 6–7 years, but there are no strict limits.
Do children lose molars?
By themselves - no, as a result of injuries and illnesses - yes.
What are the risks of removing a molar tooth in children?
As corny as it may sound, his loss. And yes, a new one will not grow. Everything is like adults.
What to do if a child has yellow molars?
Permanent teeth have a more yellowish tint than temporary teeth. Plaque on a child’s molars is normal, but hygiene should never be neglected.
What to do if a child has black molars?
When teething, baby teeth may have a black color (the so-called Priestley plaque, or pigment bacteria). However, this does not happen with molars. If they are black, go to the dentist immediately.
What to do if a child does not have molar buds?
This happens, but very rarely. Fortunately, with modern implantation and prosthetics technologies, the problem can be solved.
Is it normal for a child to have crooked molars?
Contact an orthodontist immediately: correcting a bite in childhood is much easier and faster than in adults.
Which teeth do children replace with molars?
All twenty, plus new molars appearing.

Signs of wisdom teeth erupting

To understand how a wisdom tooth grows, it is enough to remember how children behave when teething. The symptoms that children feel can be safely multiplied several times and spread out over time. Yes, it is painful, long and associated with a variety of dental problems.

The main signs that you have a wisdom tooth coming out are:

acute pain in the temporomandibular joint, spreading to the tongue, neck, ear;
pain in the jaw when swallowing and trying to open the mouth;
pain in the molars on the side where the third molar erupts;
redness and swelling of the gums.

Due to the pressure of the figure eight crown on the roots of adjacent teeth and soft tissues, inflammation may begin. It is accompanied by an increase in body temperature and signs of general intoxication: headache, weakness, muscle and joint pain, chills.

It is extremely rare for third molars to erupt at one time. Symptoms may subside and worsen many times on each side. Sometimes the process of germination of wisdom teeth lasts for years.

Molars in children: symptoms of eruption

Fever. When teething in children, body temperature may rise, usually not higher than 38 degrees.
Itching and pain at the site where the molar appears. Various gels and ointments, as well as gum massage, will help relieve children from unpleasant sensations.
Increased salivation and runny nose.

Important!

The growth of molars in children, especially at the initial stage, leads to weakened immunity. Take vitamins and do not forget about preventive visits to the dentist.

When does a child's molars come out?

Most parents are interested in the question: at what age do children’s molars begin to erupt? The first buds form in the fifth month of pregnancy. The exact timing of their appearance has not been determined and depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. Nevertheless, an approximate scheme for the eruption of molars in children exists. If the appearance of a permanent tooth is delayed for more than six months from the extreme threshold (especially after the loss of a baby tooth), consult a specialist. The doctor will take control of the process and be able to identify complications.

What teeth will a child have after one year?

In the second year of life, the baby begins to erupt small chewing teeth and canines. Fangs are the sharpest teeth that are necessary for tearing food into small pieces. Eruption of fangs is considered the most painful process due to the very sharp surface, which severely injures soft tissues. You can understand that a child’s fangs are creeping by the following signs:

Molars in children: order of eruption

hyperemia of the mucous membranes;
swelling of the gum tissue, severe swelling;
temperature rise to 38.5 degrees;
profuse drooling;
a white lump that has an elongated and flattened shape.

Increased salivation in infants

A few months before the canines, the baby develops small molars (they are also called premolars). Their eruption is less painful and usually occurs unnoticed by parents. In some cases, the child may experience problems with appetite, pain when brushing teeth, and changeable mood. Pathological signs that some consider typical of the eruption process (runny nose, diarrhea) usually do not occur with the appearance of first and second premolars, but this depends on the individual threshold of pain sensitivity.

Table No. 2. Pattern of teething in the second year of life.

Child's age	What teeth appear
First molars (chewing teeth) on the upper jaw	1-1.5 years
First molars (chewing teeth) on the lower jaw	14-20 months
Upper and lower canines	1 year 3 months – 2 years
Second molars on the mandible	20 months – 2.5 years

By the end of the second year of life, a child should have about 16-18 teeth.

Important! Second molars on the upper jaw arch may appear before the child is two years old. In some children, the upper/lower dentition of primary teeth is completely formed by 23-24 months, but this happens quite rarely (no more than 5-7% of the total number of children).

Scheme of baby teeth eruption

Pattern of growth of molars in children

In most cases, the permanent tooth appears 3 to 5 months after the temporary tooth falls out. The order of eruption of molars is in many ways similar to the appearance of milk teeth. The first molars in children are the central lower incisors. The upper permanent teeth develop later than the lower ones, if we consider them in pairs.

Age	Eruption of molars in children
2 years	There have been references in history where a child was born with one or more molars. Cases when molars erupted in a 2-3 year old child also occur, but are extremely rare (less than 1%).
5 years	When a child is 5 years old, molars very rarely come out (less than 10% of the total). If a baby tooth falls out on its own at such an early age, then there is every reason to believe that a permanent one will soon appear in its place.
6 years	The roots of baby teeth (especially the upper and lower incisors) begin to dissolve and the teeth fall out. Usually, it is at the age of 6 that a child’s first molar begins to erupt.
7 years	At this age, the first lower molars in children (at least one of them) have already erupted and the incisors of the upper jaw are next in line.
9 years	At the age of 9, a child’s second molar should definitely have time to appear. Some children acquire lateral incisors and even a premolar on one of the jaws.
10 years	At the age of ten, children’s back molars begin to actively erupt (premolars, and a little later – molars and canines).
13 years	At 12–13 years of age, children usually develop a full bite of permanent teeth. The last teeth to emerge are usually the upper canines and second molars. This does not apply to wisdom teeth, which appear in adulthood (after 17–18 years) or may not erupt at all.

Which teeth appear first?

If the timing of the appearance of baby teeth in all children is quite individual, then the order of eruption is always the same (except in rare cases). The first to appear in the dentition are the incisors - the frontal teeth, located in the center of the jaw arch and having an elongated shape with a sharp surface intended for biting off food. The lower incisors usually appear first - they are slightly smaller than the teeth located in the upper dentition, but perform the same functions and have the same structure.

First central incisors - photo

Table No. 1. Scheme of eruption of incisors in a baby.

Teeth position	Appearance date
Lower anterior incisors	4-8 months
Upper frontal incisors	6-9 months
Lateral lower incisors	9-12 months
Upper lateral incisors	10-16 months

Note! During the first year of life, a child should normally erupt 8 teeth - 4 incisors on each jaw. It is possible that a child at this age has 7 teeth or even 2-4 teeth. Such a clinical picture can be considered normal if the child does not have chronic diseases of the endocrine system and other pathologies characterized by slowing or disruption of metabolic processes. If a one-year-old child has missing teeth, you should undergo an examination - this may be a symptom of rickets or a manifestation of adentia.

Baby is cutting teeth

Complications during teething

Delay in the appearance of permanent teeth.
This may be due to genetic characteristics, immune system problems and a number of other diseases.
Uneven teeth and other malocclusions.
Hyperdentia.
The child’s molar tooth (or teeth) grows in the second row. Hyperdentia, or supernumerary of teeth, is a fairly rare phenomenon, but requires the intervention of a dentist to eliminate the risk of malocclusion in a child.

Common problems with molars in children

Problems with molars	How to fix?
Molar tooth is loose	A common occurrence with injuries and bruises. To avoid tooth loss, an urgent visit to the dentist and the application of a special splint are necessary, especially if the child’s molar sways when touched.
Broken molar tooth	Severe chips may require orthopedic treatment. If a child's front molar has chipped, aesthetic restoration with veneers or crowns may be required.
Molar caries	When the first molars erupt, it is important to prevent the occurrence of caries. If this happens, then it is necessary to stop the disease in its infancy, otherwise it will affect the deeper layers of the tooth.
A child's molar has fallen out	The most unpleasant thing that can happen. If a child knocks out a molar along with the root, then there is a chance to save it. To do this, you need to place the knocked out tooth back into the oral cavity, saline solution or into a glass of milk and urgently rush to the dentist (you need to do it within 30 - 40 minutes after the injury). If a child’s molar tooth has been removed, then there is only one way out - installing a prosthesis.

Care instructions

Molars in children require even more careful care than in adults. Frail enamel is much more susceptible to the effects of carious bacteria and the external environment, and the love of sweets and carbonated drinks does not add strength to it. When children develop a permanent bite, parents need to take special control of oral hygiene and diet (at least until the age of 14–15, when the teenager himself begins to realize the importance of dental health). In general, there are no difficulties here: in order to keep children's teeth strong and healthy, you need to follow several basic points.

Daily hygiene.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day, use dental floss and special rinses.
Proper diet.
Limit your intake of sweets and carbohydrates.
Preventative visits to the dentist at least once every six months.
If necessary, fluoridation and sealing of molars in children (so-called fissure sealing).
Do not forget to wear a protective mouth guard during active games and sports.

Timing of adult teeth eruption

The rudiments of the first teeth (on average, about 20 units) in infants are formed during the first two years of life. When the time comes to replace them with permanent teeth, the milk teeth become loose and fall out. There are no specific dates for the eruption of molars; many factors can affect the speed: environmental conditions, climate, water quality and diet. Genetic characteristics also play a certain role, some of which make themselves felt even during the formation of the fetus. The influence can be both positive and negative. If parents have healthy teeth from birth, then you don’t have to worry about the child’s teeth. If the first incisors, canines and premolars grow in 3 years, then the permanent ones take a long time to erupt. The first symptoms of dentition change can be seen at the age of 5, and it continues until the age of 21, when the third molars appear.