About Teeth

 

Pediatric Dentistry Kahala

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Dr. Allen Hirai realizes that as a pediatric dentist he is often the very first experience your children will have visiting a dentist office. Therefore, Dr. Hirai wants to make sure that each patient has a positive and comfortable experience at his Kahala, HI office. By working with you as a parent we can help your child establish good dental habits early and prevent poor dental health in the future.

Dental Development

For young patients and their parents it's important to understand the traditional development of your teeth. Throughout your life, you will have two sets of teeth: primary (baby) teeth and secondary (permanent) teeth. The primary teeth appear around ages 6-8 months, and all 20 are in place by age 3.

Permanent teeth will begin to grow around age 6, and with the exception of wisdom teeth, are all present between ages 12 and 14. The next teeth to grow in are the 12-year molars and finally the wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth typically begin breaking through from age 17 and on. The total number of permanent teeth is 32, though few people have room for all 32 teeth, which is why wisdom teeth are usually removed.

Your front teeth are called incisors. The sharp "fang-like" teeth are canines. The next side teeth are referred to as pre-molars or bicuspids, and the back teeth are molars. Your permanent teeth are the ones you keep for life, so it is important that they are brushed and flossed regularly and that periodic check-ups by a dentist are followed.

Make Sure Your Child Is On Track!

As specialists in pediatric dentistry we offer treatment and consultations in a variety of areas to our patients, including baby bottle tooth decay, oral health best practices for children over a year, and more. To help make sure your child is on track with their dental development, we recommend making an appointment for your first visit. Our staff and Dr. Hirai look forward to seeing you and your family in the office soon!