Permanent Teeth

Permanent teeth are the second set of teeth formed in mammals. In old world simians (including humans), there are thirty-two permanent teeth, consisting of six maxillary and six mandibular molars, four maxillary and four mandibular premolars, two maxillary and two mandibular canines, four maxillary and four mandibular incisors.

The first permanent tooth usually appears in the mouth at around six years of age, and the mouth will then be in a transition period with both deciduous teeth and permanent teeth (mixed dentition) until the last deciduous tooth is lost. The first of the adult teeth to erupt are the permanent first molars that come through the gums at the back, right behind the last 'milk' molars. These first permanent molars are the most important teeth for the correct development of an adult dentition. Up to the age of thirteen years, twenty-eight of the thirty-two permanent teeth will appear.

The full permanent dentition is completed much later. The four last adult teeth, one at the back of every arch will usually appear between the ages of 17 and 25 years. This is the reason they are named wisdom teeth.

It is possible to have extra, or "supernumerary," teeth. This phenomenon is called hyperdontia and is often erroneously referred to as "a third set of teeth." These teeth may erupt into the mouth or remain impacted in the bone. Hyperdontia is often associated with syndromes such as cleft lip and palate, trichorhinophalangeal syndrome, cleidocranial dysplasia, and Gardner's syndrome.