It’s one of the most common questions I get from parents in Blackburn — usually while a little one is wiggling a loose tooth in the chair, and mum or dad turns to me and asks, “So how many are they actually meant to have?” It sounds simple, but there’s a surprising amount packed into the answer, and knowing it makes it far easier to keep track of what’s normal as your child grows.
So here’s the plain version, and then the detail behind it. Children have 20 baby teeth. Adults have 32 — and that 32 includes the four wisdom teeth right at the back. If you’ve had your wisdom teeth out, or they never came through, you’ll sit closer to 28, and that’s completely normal too. Let me walk you through where all of those teeth come from, what each one is for, and roughly when they arrive and fall out.
Baby teeth: the first 20
Most babies start teething somewhere between four and ten months, with that first little tooth often appearing right around the six-month mark. By the time a child is two to three years old, they usually have a full set of 20 baby teeth — sometimes called milk teeth or, more properly, deciduous teeth.
Those 20 are made up of incisors, canines and molars (baby teeth don’t include premolars — those only come with the adult set). They may only be around for a few years, but they matter enormously: they hold space for the adult teeth coming up behind them, they shape how a child eats and speaks, and decay in them can still cause real pain and infection. That’s a big reason I encourage families across Nunawading, Forest Hill and Blackburn North to bring children in early and often, rather than waiting for a problem.
When kids gain and lose teeth
This is the part parents find genuinely useful to have written down, because it spreads over more years than most people expect.
- Around 6 months: first baby tooth appears, usually a lower front one.
- By 2–3 years: full set of 20 baby teeth.
- From 6–7 years: the front baby teeth start to wobble and fall out, making way for the first adult teeth.
- Not until 10–12 years: the back baby teeth are usually the last to go.
That last point is the one I most often flag with parents. The back baby teeth hang around well into the early teens, so they need looking after just as carefully as the adult teeth coming through — they’re not “about to fall out anyway.” A child of eight or nine is running a genuine mix of baby and adult teeth at once, which is exactly when regular children’s no-drill dentistry helps us catch small issues gently, before they need anything more involved.
Adult teeth: the full 32
Here’s something that surprises people: when you’re born, some of your permanent teeth are already quietly forming inside the jawbone, waiting their turn. Over the years they push through as the baby teeth make way, and a full adult set comes to 32 teeth — 16 on the top, 16 on the bottom.
Those 32 fall into four types, each shaped for a particular job:
- 8 incisors — your front teeth, four up top and four along the bottom. They’re the sharp, chisel-shaped ones that bite and cut food into smaller pieces. They’re also the first teeth you ever see in a teething baby.
- 4 canines — the pointed teeth just beside the incisors, two up and two down. They tear food, and their shape helps guide your jaw so your teeth slide together smoothly rather than clashing.
- 8 premolars — sitting between the canines and the molars. Think of them as the transition teeth: they start the grinding job and pass food back for the heavy chewing.
- 12 molars — the big grinders at the back, three on each side of each jaw. This number includes your four wisdom teeth.
Add those up — 8 plus 4 plus 8 plus 12 — and you land on 32.
Wisdom teeth: the last to arrive
The wisdom teeth are simply the third molars, the very last teeth at the back of each side of your jaw. They’re the latecomers of the whole set, usually pushing through between about 18 and 25 — which is why so many of my patients around the Box Hill and Deakin University crowd notice them in their late teens and early twenties.
For some people they come through, sit comfortably, and cause no trouble at all. For others there simply isn’t room, so they come in sideways, get stuck, or only partly break through the gum — and that’s when they can become sore, trap food, or press on the tooth in front. Some people never develop wisdom teeth in the first place, and that’s perfectly normal.
Because they’re so far back and so unpredictable, wisdom teeth are worth keeping an eye on rather than ignoring. At a routine visit I can check how they’re sitting — often with an X-ray — and let you know whether they’re fine to leave or worth a closer look. If yours are aching or your gums feel swollen at the very back, that’s always a good reason to book in.
So why does the count matter?
Beyond satisfying curiosity, knowing the numbers helps you notice when something’s off — a tooth that hasn’t come through when its neighbours have, a baby tooth lost far too early, or crowding as the adult teeth arrive. For families right across the City of Whitehorse, those small observations at home are often the first clue that a check is worthwhile.
The truth is that every tooth, baby or adult, lasts far better with the same simple habits: brushing twice a day, cleaning between the teeth, sensible snacking, and regular visits so we spot the little things while they’re still little. That’s the whole idea behind a routine check-up and clean — it’s not about waiting for pain, it’s about keeping every one of those 20 or 32 teeth on track. For households juggling kids at different stages, having everyone seen under one roof through our family dental care makes that far easier to keep up with.
So the next time your child proudly presents a tooth in a tissue, you’ll know exactly where it sits in the bigger picture — and that there are plenty more milestones still to come.
If you’d like your child’s teeth checked as they come and go, or you’re wondering about your own wisdom teeth, you’re welcome to book online or call us on (03) 8838 8820. We’re at 129A Canterbury Road, Blackburn — a short walk from Blackburn Station and easy to reach from across the Whitehorse area.