Home > Encyclopedia of Children's Health > Dental Development

Definition

Dental development is the process by which children develop their first and second (permanent) teeth.

Description

A child's first set of 20 teeth are called baby, primary, deciduous, or milk teeth. As these teeth fall out, they are replaced by 32 permanent, adult, or secondary teeth. The entire process of dental development may take more than two decades. Both primary and permanent teeth usually erupt (break through the gum) in a specific order on each side of the upper and lower jaws. However, the timing of both primary and permanent tooth eruption can vary by two or more years.

Both the timing of dental development and tooth size are determined primarily by heredity. Individuals differ greatly in the size of the crown (the part of the tooth above the gum line). Except for...