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Throughout your life, you will have two sets of teeth: primary (baby) teeth and secondary (permanent) teeth. The average age for the first teeth to appear is 6-8 months, and all 20 primary teeth are usually in place by age 3.
Permanent teeth will begin to grow around age 6, and, except for wisdom teeth, are all present between ages 12 and 14. Wisdom teeth typically begin breaking through from age 17 and on. The total number of permanent teeth is 32, although few people have room for all 32 teeth. This is why wisdom teeth are usually removed.
Your front teeth are called incisors. The sharp “fang-like” teeth are canines. Moving toward the back of the mouth from the canines are the pre-molars or bicuspids. The back teeth, which are used for chewing food, are the molars. Your permanent teeth are the ones you keep for life, so it is vital that they are brushed and flossed regularly, and that periodic check-ups by a dentist are followed.
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