Your questions about Milk Teeth, Answered

From Baby Teeth to Permanent Teeth – Your Child’s Journey

We all want to ensure that our children get the best start in life, including taking care of their teeth from the moment they come through. Starting early can help your children develop the habit of brushing their teeth as part of a daily routine. Read on to learn more about baby teeth, also known as milk teeth.

 

When Do Baby Teeth Come In?

You may be looking at that gummy smile and wondering when you’ll see a flash of white, but the truth is that the age when infants get their milk teeth can vary.

 

The British Dental Association estimates that one in every 2,000 babies is born with teeth, but for most youngsters, you’ll start to see some erupt between six months to twelve months.¹

 

What Are Milk Teeth?

As we previously mentioned, the first teeth that come through are called milk teeth. Milk teeth begin developing before a baby is born and usually come through between six and twelve months old.²

 

How Many Milk Teeth Does a Child Have?

It might sound unbelievable, but over the next two to three years, your baby will grow up to twenty teeth – no wonder they dribble!²

 

Of course, once they’re in, it's not long before we’re wondering when these teeth might fall out, and a visit from the Tooth Fairy will be in order! More on that later, though.

 

Which Baby Teeth Come in First?

You may wonder what order your baby’s teeth will likely appear in. Generally, it can be broken down into the following stages:⁴

• First incisor (bottom) — between 5 to 10 months
• First incisor (top) — between 6 to 12 months
• Second incisor (bottom) — between 9 to 16 months
• Second incisor (top) — between 9 to 13 months
• Canines (bottom) — between 17 to 23 months
• Canines (top) — between 16 to 22 months
• First molars (bottom) — between 12 to 16 months
• First molars (top) — between 13 to 19 months
• Second molars (bottom) — between 20 to 31 months
• Second molars (top) — between 25 to 33 months

Most children will have all their milk teeth by their third birthday.

 

When Do Milk Teeth Fall Out?

Between the ages of five and six, your not-so-little ones will begin to lose their milk teeth so that their adult teeth can come through. In most cases, all milk teeth fall out by the time a child reaches their fourteenth birthday.²

 

Our Top Tips for Brushing Milk Teeth

So, now you know a little more about your baby’s new milk teeth, but what about how to brush your baby’s teeth? You'll find our top tips here if you want more information on choosing a suitable baby toothbrush or toothpaste or learning when to start brushing your baby’s teeth with toothpaste.

Choose the Right Toothbrush for Your Baby

Amazing – your baby’s first tooth is here! They might want to celebrate by chomping down on everything in sight, including your fingers… which makes it a perfect time to introduce their first baby toothbrush. So, what should you look out for?

• At this age, it's important to choose a baby toothbrush specifically made for little mouths.⁴
• Select a baby toothbrush with a small head that fits comfortably in your child’s mouth.⁴
• Be sure to monitor your baby’s toothbrush for worn bristles and replace it at least every three months.⁴

Our Milk Teeth Toothbrush is specially designed by dental experts for children between 0 and 2 years. These small-headed toothbrushes are specially designed to help clean the surfaces of those precious first teeth, with soft, end rounded bristles that are gentle on gums. The flexible head bends to help absorb pressure from brushing.

Introduce Baby Toothpaste for Your Child’s Milk Teeth

The best way to achieve a good brushing routine is with a fluoride toothpaste created specifically for baby teeth, which cares for the slightly thinner enamel of your child’s milk teeth while fighting decay.

 

Toothpaste for babies and children often contains less fluoride to minimise the risk associated with swallowing. In addition, many baby toothpastes come in child-friendly flavours to encourage brushing. Our Aquafresh Milk Teeth toothpaste is formulated by dental experts to help protect milk teeth and gently protect your baby’s first teeth with the appropriate level of fluoride.⁴

 

All children up to three years old should use a small smear of toothpaste containing a fluoride level of at least 1000 ppm (parts per million). Once they reach three years old, they should use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing fluoride levels between 1350 ppm and 1500 ppm, like our Little Teeth toothpaste, which offers more protection for their enamel.⁸

 

You can learn more about choosing the right dental hygiene products for your kids, including our best baby toothpaste and toothbrushes for children’s tooth care on our website.

Create a Consistent Brushing Routine

You can begin brushing your baby's teeth as soon as they come through. So, ideally, you should start a consistent brushing routine as soon as possible. While you’ll be doing the brushing at first, getting your baby used to brushing will encourage them to become independent and value the importance of caring for their teeth as they get older. Explore our tips for creating a consistent and engaging brushing routine below:⁵

• Brush your baby’s teeth around the same time each day and night to encourage them to see dental hygiene as a part of everyday life.
• Make sure to show them all the areas you’re brushing as you go along. Then, once they’re ready to give it a go when they’re a bit older, try brushing along with them, checking they have done a proper clean until they’ve mastered it themselves.
• Be sure to let your baby see you brush your own teeth regularly as well to help them understand the importance of building a consistent daily habit.
• Brush along with our fun, free app. Join Captain Aquafresh and the Nurdles as they sing and dance on screen while your little one brushes their mouth clean. Our interactive app is the perfect gateway to lifelong oral health with a catchy song, points to collect, brushing tips, and a two-minute timer that counts down. Click here to find out more and download.
• Explore more tips to help make brushing teeth fun for your children in our latest article.

While a new tooth is always a cause for celebration, your child could suffer from tooth decay without proper care. Tooth decay is the number one reason for hospital admittance of children between the ages of six and ten.⁶

 

It’s important to remember that brushing teeth is something you can do right from your baby’s first tooth, which means they will soon get used to the sensation and taste of toothpaste. Before long, they’ll be doing it for themselves!

 

You can find more information about keeping your children’s milk teeth healthy throughout their development and supporting good oral healthcare for children here.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

When Can You Start Brushing Milk Teeth?

It’s a good idea to start brushing milk teeth as soon as they come through, particularly so your little one can get used to it and maintain good oral health.⁵

How Often Should You Brush Your Baby’s Teeth?

Even babies need their teeth brushed twice a day.⁴ Brush your baby’s teeth with a fluoride toothpaste before bed and then ideally at another point during the day.⁴ That said, don’t worry if you can’t do that at first; slowly build up with your little one.

Do All Baby Teeth Fall Out and How Many Do You Lose?

Normally, all 20 milk teeth will fall out and be replaced by adult teeth, and more will grow. A full set of adult teeth includes 32 teeth, including wisdom teeth which usually appear between 17 and 21.²

Do I Need to Brush Baby Teeth if They Will Eventually Fall Out?

It's essential to clean your baby’s teeth daily with a little fluoride toothpaste to remove bacteria and plaque and avoid tooth decay. Decayed baby teeth can lead to tooth pain, infection and affect your baby’s ability to chew, which can be painful and frightening for your child.⁷