Humans develop two sets of dentitions. The first dentition has 20 primary or baby teeth (figs. 1, 2). These teeth start to erupt around the age of 6 months, and a full set is completed around the age of 2 to 3 years.

The primary teeth are very important for nutrition, speech development, esthetics, and growth of a child. Baby teeth maintain the space for the developing permanent teeth. Early loss of baby teeth, especially of the back teeth, can delay or prevent the eruption or lead to crowding of the permanent teeth.