Your mouth and teeth more specifically will undergo a lot of changes over the years. As humans we are all born with a complete set of teeth that are simply recessed in the jaw. Beginning at the age of six your child will begin losing their baby teeth to make way for adult teeth. Around the age of six the first set of molars become visible and then around the age of 12 the second set of molars will appear. At the age of 17 adults will get their final set of adult teeth, commonly called wisdom teeth. These teeth are in fact a third set of molars, and earn their name “wisdom teeth” because of the age that they emerge in the mouth. What to Expect Anthropologists believe that while wisdom teeth were necessary for our ancestors to chew given their standard diet of nuts, roots, and meat, humans have evolved beyond needing them. In addition, scientists believe that our jaws have evolved and become smaller over time as well. Since wisdom teeth are the last to emerge in the mouth, and given the smaller jaw of most people, there may not be enough space for wisdom teeth to...

If you’ve got little ones running around the house, you’ve already been through the teething stage, or perhaps that’s just starting. Whatever your parenting situation might be you’re most likely in for several years of caring for a set of baby teeth. As you work to help instill good dental habits for your kids, in addition to encouraging daily brushing, here are a few things that we think every parent should know about baby teeth. Children Are Born with Teeth Although children when they’re born don’t have any visible teeth, that doesn’t mean they weren’t born with any. In fact, children are born with 20 baby teeth that just haven’t erupted yet. Eruption is what occurs when the baby teeth begin to break through the surface of the gums. This process is known as teething and typically begins around the age of 6 months. The first teeth to erupt are usually the bottom two teeth also called the incisors. Spacing Between Teeth is Normal As children’s teeth begin to appear, they are likely to have lots of space between their teeth so don’t be concerned. This is very common and actually a great sign for future dental health. The spacing...