Hello doctor, I am 10 years old. I do not have my second premolar in the upper side, I only have the first premolar. It has been like this for my whole life. My bottom first premolar teeth are getting loose, and my upper first premolar teeth have fallen down. Is this normal for a 10-year-old? What is the difference between a baby tooth an adult tooth?
Hello,  Welcome to icliniq.com. You have got some interesting questions here. Firstly, during our baby dentition stage, we have two incisors, one canine, and two molars (on each side). 10 teeth on each jaw, a total of 20 teeth. Premolars come into play only during the adult dentition stage. And to your second question, yes, this is absolutely normal at the age of 10, to feel some of your teeth getting loose. The stage you are in is called as mixed dentition. You will have both baby and adult teeth in your mouth. Premolars erupt between 10 to 12 years.  Baby and adult teeth differ by size and color. Baby teeth look small than the adult teeth. The color of the baby teeth is dull-white whereas the adult teeth are brighter yellowish white. Right now, you will have permanent incisors (top four and bottom four), permanent first molars (top right one and top left one, and bottom right one and left one, totally four) fully erupted and probably bottom permanent canine erupting, one on each side. Baby teeth like baby molars and baby canine (top) are in the process of getting loose. I hope this was informative and useful.