🦷 Milk teeth

Milk teeth (baby teeth, primary teeth) are a child's first teeth. There are 20 of them, 10 in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower. They are already hidden in the gums at birth, and they start to come through at about six months, most often the lower front ones first.

The NHS describes the order. At about six months the central incisors arrive, at about eight months the lateral incisors, at about twelve the first molars, at about eighteen the canines and at about twenty-four the second molars. Lower teeth often come before the upper ones. Most children have the full set by two to three years. The chart is a guide, because timing varies: some babies start before four months and some after twelve.

These teeth matter even though they will be replaced. Dentists at the American Dental Association call them nature's braces, because they hold the space for the permanent teeth. A baby tooth lost early to decay can put the permanent teeth at risk. Milk teeth also help with chewing, clear speech and a confident smile. Permanent teeth begin arriving around age six, and baby teeth fall out at various times through childhood.

So milk teeth are not a different kind of tooth, just the early stage of a set. For what milk gives bones and teeth, see bones and teeth; for the child, see child and milk. The wider subject is covered by milk in culture and language.