Human dental development involves two distinct sets of teeth over a lifetime: the primary, or deciduous, teeth and the permanent teeth. The structure of a child’s mouth is fundamentally different from that of an adult’s. The primary dentition provides the framework for the jaw and facial development during childhood, ultimately clearing the path for the larger, more numerous permanent teeth. Understanding these differences, particularly the presence or absence of certain tooth types, is key to following a child’s dental timeline.
The Primary Answer: What Teeth Do Children Have?
The answer to whether children have premolars is definitively no, as premolars are not part of the primary dentition. A complete set of primary teeth consists of 20 teeth, evenly split between the upper and lower jaws. These 20 teeth include four types: incisors, canines, and molars, but no premolars.
The primary teeth are composed of eight incisors at the front for cutting food, four pointed canines for tearing, and eight primary molars positioned toward the back for crushing. These primary molars serve the function of grinding during childhood and are later replaced during the transition to adult teeth. This arrangement of 20 teeth is typically complete by the age of three years.
The absence of premolars is a defining difference between a child’s mouth and an adult’s, which will eventually contain 32 teeth. The primary teeth hold the necessary space in the jaw for the adult teeth developing beneath the gums. This temporary set of teeth is shed, or exfoliated, to make room for the permanent teeth that follow.
Understanding Premolars: Their Role and Location
Premolars, often called bicuspids, are a distinct category of tooth found exclusively in the permanent dentition. The term bicuspid refers to their biting surface, which typically features two cusps or points, though some may have three. Adults possess a total of eight premolars, with two in each of the four quadrants of the mouth.
These teeth are situated in the dental arch between the canines and the molars, acting as a transitional bridge. Their dual structure, possessing the sharp points of canines and the broad surface of molars, makes them efficient. Premolars primarily function to crush and break up food particles after the canines have torn them, preparing the food for the heavier grinding action of the molars.
This transitional placement allows them to distribute the forces of chewing evenly across the jaw. They are an integral part of the 32 permanent teeth, which include eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, and twelve molars, including wisdom teeth. Premolars are a specialized tooth type that develops later to accommodate an adult diet and jaw structure.
The Transition: When Premolars Erupt
The appearance of premolars signals a significant phase in a child’s dental development, as they are non-succedaneous teeth, meaning they replace a different tooth type. The permanent premolars do not replace a primary premolar, since none exist in the primary set. Instead, the permanent first and second premolars erupt into the spaces previously occupied by the primary first and second molars.
The eruption of the first premolars generally occurs around the ages of 10 to 11 years, followed shortly by the second premolars between 10 and 12 years. This period of transition, where both primary and permanent teeth are present, is known as the mixed dentition phase.
The roots of the primary molars are resorbed, or dissolved, as the developing permanent premolars beneath them push up. This replacement mechanism is why parents often mistake the primary molars for the adult tooth that follows. The permanent first premolar replaces the primary first molar, and the permanent second premolar replaces the primary second molar. This exchange creates a more complex and robust grinding surface, necessary for the wider range of foods consumed by older children and adults. The full set of 28 permanent teeth, excluding wisdom teeth, is usually present by age 13.