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9735 Landmark Parkway Dr.
Suite #16 St. Louis, MO 63127
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(314) 270-5817
Mixed Dentition
Dr. Kelly Jobe | Pediatric Dentist | St. Louis, MO
Mixed Dentition
As a parent, you probably have a lot of questions about what teeth will come in for your child, and at what age. You want to know if your child’s baby teeth are falling out, and their adult teeth are coming in, at the right time. And, you want their adult teeth to erupt in the right place!
When your child has a mix of baby and adult teeth, we dentists call this period mixed dentition. This rotation of baby and adult teeth generally happens from age 6 (when their permanent “6 year molars” come in) to around age 13 (when their last baby teeth fall out). Every child is different, so they may have teeth fall out or erupt at different times. And that’s ok!
This period is crucial for your child’s oral health! Here are a few reasons why:
- Baby teeth are more prone to tooth decay than adult teeth
- If baby teeth fall out prematurely, that can cause adult teeth to come in at the wrong place or angle
- Gaps in teeth can make it more difficult for children to chew or brush thoroughly
During mixed dentition, your child will have 20 baby (primary) teeth erupt, which will be replaced by 32 adult (permanent) teeth. That’s a lot of traffic happening in a 6-7 year period! They also don’t rotate in a perfect front-to-back order, so that can make parents wonder if something is wrong.
In the beginning of this period, your child will have more baby teeth than adult teeth. But for a majority of the time, there should be an equal mix of 12 baby teeth and 12 adult teeth at any given moment. You can tell them apart because adult teeth are yellower, bigger and less smooth than baby teeth.
Baby & adult teeth timeline
Here is a handy timeline of when your child’s permanent teeth are likely to erupt:
- Central Incisor: 6 to 8 years
- Lateral Incisor: 6.5 to 9 years
- Canine: 8.5 to 12.5 years
- First Premolar: 8 to 12 years
- Second Premolar: 8.5 to 13 years
- First Molar: 5 to 7 years
- Second Molar: 10 to 14 years
- Third Molar (Wisdom tooth): 17 to 25 years
Your child will lose their first baby tooth around age 6, then lose eight (yes, eight!) teeth in the next two years after that. Then you can both breathe for a bit until around age 10 when more baby teeth will fall out, with all remaining baby teeth falling out by age 13 or so. Kids lose and get teeth at different ages. Girls usually start younger than boys. Even identical twins will lose teeth at different times. The sequence of losing teeth is much more important than when it happens.
Hopefully it eases some of your anxiety to know that for the most part, your child’s teeth will fall out and come in on their own. Usually you won’t need to worry about pulling out loose teeth, for instance. A little wiggle or two, but that’s it!
How to help mixed dentition go smoothly
All of that being said, there are a few things you can do to make sure your child’s teeth erupt when they’re supposed to. This includes the basic essentials of brushing twice a day, flossing and a nutritious diet. We also recommend using a fluoride toothpaste to remineralize your child’s teeth, repair any cavities that are just forming, and prevent future tooth decay.
It is also critical that you bring your child in for regular cleanings every 6 months, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). This gives us the chance to:
- Give your child a thorough examination
- Make sure their teeth are erupting when and how they’re supposed to
- Perform fluoride treatments which treat and prevent cavities (and are recommended 2 to 4 times a year)
If your child’s bite is getting misaligned, or a tooth is having trouble erupting because it’s getting overcrowded (impacted), or a baby tooth is in danger of falling out too soon, we can catch it and perform procedures to fix the problem.
Questions for Dr. Jobe or the Kids Smiles Pediatric Dentistry team?
Dr. Kelly Jobe and the team at Kids Smiles Pediatric Dentistry are committed to providing the best pediatric dental care in the greater St. Louis, MO area! Please contact us with any questions regarding your kid’s dental health, we are here to help!
FAQs
Mixed dentition refers to the transitional stage of your child’s dental development when they have both baby teeth and permanent teeth in their mouth at the same time. This phase typically begins around age six when the first permanent molars come in, and it continues until around age thirteen when the last baby teeth fall out. At Kids Smiles Pediatric Dentistry in St. Louis, MO, Dr. Kelly Jobe monitors this transition closely during regular checkups to make sure teeth are erupting on schedule and in the right positions.
Mixed dentition generally begins around age six with the arrival of the first permanent molars, sometimes called the “six-year molars,” and wraps up around age twelve to thirteen when the last baby teeth are lost. Keep in mind that every child develops at their own pace, so some variation in this timeline is completely normal. If you have concerns about whether your child’s teeth are coming in on schedule, our St. Louis pediatric dental team can give you a clear picture at their next visit.
Children start with 20 baby teeth, all of which will eventually be replaced by 32 permanent teeth. During the mixed dentition phase, there is a lot of dental activity happening over a six to seven year window. For much of this period, children typically have around 12 baby teeth and 12 permanent teeth at the same time. Because teeth do not fall out and come in a neat front-to-back order, the combination at any given moment can look a little unpredictable, which is perfectly normal.
There are a few easy ways to tell them apart. Permanent teeth tend to be larger, more yellow in color, and slightly less smooth than baby teeth. They also have small ridges along the biting edges when they first come in, which gradually wear down with use. If you are ever unsure about which teeth in your child’s mouth are permanent and which are baby teeth, Dr. Jobe can walk you through it during a checkup at our St. Louis office.
This stage is one of the most critical periods in your child’s dental development. Baby teeth are more vulnerable to decay than permanent teeth, which means cavity risk is higher during this time. If a baby tooth is lost too early due to decay or injury, the permanent tooth meant to replace it can drift out of position or come in at the wrong angle. Regular monitoring during the mixed dentition phase allows our team to catch these issues early and take action before they create bigger problems down the road.
Several issues can arise during this stage. A permanent tooth may have trouble erupting because surrounding teeth are too crowded, a condition known as impaction. Baby teeth that fall out prematurely can cause permanent teeth to shift into the wrong position. Bite misalignment can also develop during this period. Regular checkups every six months at our St. Louis office give Dr. Jobe the opportunity to identify these concerns early and recommend the appropriate treatment, whether that is a space maintainer, interceptive orthodontics, or another solution.
The fundamentals of good oral hygiene matter more than ever during this phase. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, floss daily, and maintain a balanced diet that limits sugary snacks and drinks. Fluoride toothpaste helps remineralize enamel, repair very early cavities, and protect against future decay. Encouraging these habits during the mixed dentition years helps set the stage for a lifetime of healthy permanent teeth.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends dental checkups every six months for children, and this is especially important during the mixed dentition stage. These visits allow Dr. Jobe to track how teeth are erupting, perform fluoride treatments to prevent decay, and address any developing alignment or spacing concerns before they become more complex. To schedule your child’s next visit at Kids Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, call us at (314) 270-5817 or book online. We are located at 9735 Landmark Parkway Dr., Suite 16, St. Louis, MO 63127.
Have more questions about your child’s dental health? Contact St. Louis, MO’s award-winning Pediatric Dentist, Dr. Kelly Jobe!
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Kids Smiles Pediatric Dentistry
9735 Landmark Parkway Dr.
Suite #16 St. Louis, MO 63127 - (314) 270-5817
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