Tooth eruption is a process in tooth development in which the teeth enter the mouth and become visible. It is currently believed that the periodontal ligaments play an important role in tooth eruption. The first human teeth to appear, the deciduous (primary) teeth (also known as baby or milk teeth), erupt into the mouth from around 6 months until 2 years of age, in a process known as "teething". These teeth are the only ones in the mouth until a person is about 6 years old. At that time, the first permanent tooth erupts and begins a time in which there is a combination of primary and permanent teeth. This stage, known as the mixed stage, lasts until the last primary tooth is lost. Then, the remaining permanent teeth erupt into the mouth.
Famous quotes containing the words tooth and/or eruption:
“How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is
To have a thankless child.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The eruption of lived pleasure is such that in losing myself I find myself; forgetting that I exist, I realize myself.”
—Raoul Vaneigem (b. 1934)