The Operator for the Teeth: Charles Allen 1685
The first English Dentistry Text-book.
Page 17
SECT. VI.
Of Childrens Teeth
Having hitherto spoken of the teeth in reference to adult persons, and such as are part Childhood, we shall employ this last section of our discourse, to explain as succinctly, and withal as clearly as we can, what is necessary to be known touching their growth, and change in children, a thing of no small consequence . since the life of infants is therein so often concerned.
The child being born remains toothless, till he is about five or six months old: at which time his foremost teeth in each jaw begin to appear: without keeping any constant order of precedence: sometimes those above coming out first, and sometimes those below. After them follow all the rest successively in both mandibles: so next to these come the four other incisors, the four canine or dog teeth, and the first eight molars: (which are properly the double teeth) and then come the four biggest teeth of all, which may be called Quadruple Teeth, as being about three times bigger than the small ones: and after that the eight last teeth do follow, which in respect to the incisors may be termed treble Teeth: but these treble ones usually vary very much in time of growth, for it is rarely that they all come forth in the same year; the four last of them seldom coming out before the one or two and twentieth year of our age: for which reason such teeth are called by some Teeth of wisdom; because that by that time we should have a full use of our rational faculty, tho’ God knows how often it proves to be true.
The eight incisors, and the four dog-teeth some the first year: the eight double teeth the second year and the four quadruples, with the four first treble ones the third: during the time of their eruption, and especially when the four quadruple ones