The mother of a 6-month-old infant is concerned that her baby may be teething. You explain to her that the first teeth to erupt in most children are which of the following?: (A) Mandibular central incisors, (B) Maxillary lateral incisors, (C) Maxillary first molars, (D) Mandibular cuspids (canines)
Answer is A. In general, mandibular teeth erupt before maxillary teeth; teeth tend to erupt in girls before they do in boys. The first teeth to erupt usually are the mandibular central incisors at 5 to 7 months, followed by the maxillary central incisors at 6 to 8 months. Lateral incisors (mandibular then maxillary) erupt next at 7 to 11 months, followed by the first molars (10-16 months), the cuspids (16-20 months), and the second molars (20-30 months).