When do children’s teeth begin forming?
Tooth formation progresses through 6 distinct stages. It is during the last stage, apposition, that the enamel and dentine are laid down to produce the tooth form and final shape. This process occurs for both the primary teeth(baby teeth) as well as the secondary teeth (permanent teeth).
The development of baby teeth begins in the womb and starts at about 6 weeks. At about 4 months into the pregnancy, the enamel and dentine begins forming the new baby teeth. Any disturbances at this time have the potential to affect the quality of the new tooth enamel and dentine. Fortunately these disturbances are not common. It is important that a mother looks after her health by maintaining good nutrition during pregnancy and looking after her own general dental health. Any fluoride absorbed by the mother will be incorporated in the new baby teeth making them stronger and more decay resistant once they erupt.
The enamel and dentine of the permanent teeth begin forming about 4 months after birth and continue forming through to approximately 10 years of age. Hydroxyapatite is replaced with fluoride during this time again forming hard dental enamel that is resistant to dental decay.
The following chart outlines the timing of tooth formation for both the baby teeth and the adult teeth.
