Tooth Eruption In Arvada, CO

Your child grows 20 baby teeth in a set order between about 6 months and age 3, and the four canines that most online charts leave out are the second-to-last to arrive. Below is the full schedule, three things the usual teething articles get wrong or leave out, and a clear line for when a delay is worth a call.

The Complete Baby Teeth Timeline

Baby teeth generally come in from front to back.
The lower teeth usually erupt before the upper teeth.
The two lower front teeth commonly appear between 6 and 10 months.
The second molars usually complete the set by about age 3.
Teeth do not necessarily fall out in the same order in which they erupted.

Central Incisors

Lower teeth erupt: 6–10 months
Upper teeth erupt: 8–12 months
Usually fall out: 6–7 years

Lateral Incisors

Lower teeth erupt: 10–16 months
Upper teeth erupt: 9–13 months
Usually fall out: 7–8 years

First Molars

Lower teeth erupt: 14–18 months
Upper teeth erupt: 13–19 months
Usually fall out: 9–11 years

Canines or Cuspids

Lower teeth erupt: 17–23 months
Upper teeth erupt: 16–22 months
Usually fall out: 9–12 years

Second Molars

Lower teeth erupt: 23–31 months
Upper teeth erupt: 25–33 months
Usually fall out: 10–12 years

What Parents Should Know

Canines typically appear between 16 and 23 months.
They usually erupt after the first molars, not before them.
Some charts leave out canines, which can make parents think a tooth is missing when it may simply be next in the sequence.
Eruption ranges are intentionally broad.
A tooth appearing a few months earlier or later can still be normal.
The sequence and steady progress matter more than the exact date on the calendar.

When permanent teeth come in

Permanent teeth start around age 6, and the first ones surprise many parents: the first molars erupt in the very back with no baby tooth falling out first, usually alongside the lower front teeth.

First molars (the "6-year molars"): 6-7 years
Central and lateral incisors: 6-9 years
Canines and premolars: 9-12 years
Second molars (the "12-year molars"): 11-13 years
Third molars (wisdom teeth): 17-21 years

If a permanent tooth pushes in behind a baby tooth that has not loosened, that is "shark teeth," and it usually sorts itself out.

How to tell if your child is teething

Real teething signs are local and mild: more drooling, swollen or tender gums, a strong urge to chew, some fussiness, and a slightly smaller appetite for a few days around each tooth.

Here is what changed. Sleep disruption sits near the top of almost every teething checklist. A 2025 study in the Journal of Pediatrics tracked 849 infants aged 3 to 18 months using crib-camera motion analysis, then compared nights around a confirmed tooth eruption against ordinary nights. It found no measurable difference in total sleep, night wakings, or how often parents came to the crib. More than half of those parents still reported worse sleep, but the cameras did not back it up. If your child's sleep falls apart for more than a night or two, look past teething for the cause rather than assuming a tooth is to blame or reaching for medication.

Teething also does not cause a high fever, diarrhea, or a rash. A temperature above 101F, loose stools, or a body rash points to something else. Call your pediatrician.

How to soothe a teething child

Cold and pressure do most of the work, and medication rarely needs to.

Chilled, not frozen. A cold teething ring or a clean wet washcloth from the fridge gives soothing counter-pressure. Frozen-hard rings can bruise gums.
Gum massage. Rub the gums with a clean finger or damp gauze for a few seconds. Simple and effective.
Cold soft foods. For babies already on solids, chilled applesauce or plain yogurt calms gums and feeds at the same time.
Wipe after feeds. Clean the gums with a damp cloth, even before teeth appear. It clears bacteria and builds the habit early.
Manage the drool. Pat the chin and mouth dry through the day to head off a drool rash.

Two things to skip: benzocaine teething gels and amber teething necklaces. The FDA warns against benzocaine products for children under 2 because of a rare but serious blood-oxygen risk, and teething necklaces are a choking and strangulation hazard.

Arvada's tap water and your child's new enamel

Freshly erupted teeth have soft enamel that has not fully hardened, which is exactly when the right amount of fluoride helps it harden and resist decay. Arvada adds fluoride to its drinking water.

You can look up your own tap's number in the city report and bring it to your child's visit. We use it to decide, with you, whether a fluoride varnish or supplement adds anything on top of what your water already provides.

Why watching eruption matters more right now

Untreated tooth decay in young children is climbing across the Denver metro, which turns a routine eruption check into something with real stakes.

Nontraumatic dental visits at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, the main pediatric hospital serving Arvada, rose 175 percent between 2010 and 2025, and dentists there report children arriving with decay across many teeth rather than a single cavity. Nationally, non-injury dental ER visits for children 14 and under climbed about 58 percent, according to a 2025 CareQuest Institute report. Early monitoring is how you stay ahead of that curve instead of ending up in it.

Watching eruption lets us:

Catch crowding or spacing and alignment issues while they are still simple to guide.
Spot delayed or missing teeth and plan around them early.
Protect soft new enamel with sealants and fluoride treatments during the months it is most vulnerable.
Confirm the jaw is developing toward a healthy bite.
Build the habit with a first visit by age 1.

One number to hold onto: a cavity can form on a baby tooth in about six months, which is why we recommend a checkup at that interval.

What a tooth-eruption visit at Mini Miners actually looks like

Your child picks their prophy paste flavor, their fluoride flavor, and a movie from more than 70 options. If we need an X-ray, we take it right in the room with a camera-style machine while the movie keeps playing, using sensors sized for small mouths. For the youngest patients we use a baby bed or a knee-to-knee exam so a parent is holding the child the whole time. Parents stay in the room, always.

Every treatment room is plumbed for nitrous oxide, and we offer mild, moderate, and deep sedation if a child needs more support than laughing gas. Our fluoride lets kids eat and drink right after the visit. We also check newborns for tongue-tie and can release it with a soft-tissue laser when needed.

Book your child's visit

Whether your baby's first tooth just broke through or you have questions about permanent teeth on the way, we are here. Same-day emergency appointments are available for existing patients.

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FAQs

When should my child in Arvada first see a dentist?

By their first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing, whichever comes first. Early visits let us monitor eruption, guide brushing, and set a calm tone before any problem starts.

Is it normal for teeth to come in late or out of order?

Yes. Every child runs on their own clock, and a few months either way is normal, as is a slightly different order (some children get canines before the second molars fill in). Call us if no teeth have appeared by 18 months so we can take a closer look.

My child's permanent tooth is coming in behind the baby tooth. Is that okay?This is "shark teeth," where a permanent tooth erupts behind a baby tooth that has not fallen out yet. Usually the baby tooth loosens and drops out on its own as the permanent tooth moves forward. If it has not come out within a few weeks, call us and we will check whether a simple extraction is needed.

Does teething cause fevers or wreck sleep?

No high fever. A temperature above 101F, diarrhea, or a rash is not teething, so call your pediatrician. As for sleep, a 2025 Journal of Pediatrics study using crib-camera tracking found no measurable sleep difference on teething nights, even though many parents expected one. If sleep is off for more than a night or two, the cause is probably something other than a tooth.

How do I care for my child's newly erupted teeth?

Brush twice a day as soon as the first tooth appears, using a rice-grain smear of fluoride toothpaste, then a pea-size amount around age 3. Start flossing once any two teeth touch. Keep sugary snacks low and checkups on a six-month schedule.