When does tooth F come in and fall out?
The upper baby central incisors usually come in at 8–12 months and fall out at 6–7 years (ADA). The AAPD chart gives 6–10 months to come in and 7–8 years to fall out.
In the ADA chart, they usually come in after the lower baby central incisors (6–10 months) and before the upper baby lateral incisors (9–13 months), and they are among the first to fall out, along with the lower baby central incisors.
Tooth F is replaced by tooth 9, the upper left central incisor, which usually comes in at 7–8 years (ADA). Under the gum, tooth F starts to harden in the 4th month of pregnancy and is fully formed by about 18–24 months (AAPD).
Falls and injuries to tooth F
In one children's hospital study, children under 5 made up 56% of dental injury visits, falls were the most common cause, and 7 in 10 injured teeth were upper central incisors.
Injuries. Worldwide, about 1 in 5 children (22.7%) injure at least one baby tooth. In baby teeth the most common injury is a tooth pushed out of position (a luxation) rather than a broken tooth.
The adult tooth underneath. An injury to a baby front tooth, or a baby incisor whose nerve has died, can change the way the adult incisor comes in. Dentists watch for this after a baby front tooth is hurt.
The same tooth on the right side, tooth E, has its own section on bottle decay on the upper front teeth.
Where is tooth F?
Tooth F is one of the two top front teeth right in the middle of your child's mouth: the one on their left side.
"Left" and "right" always mean the child's own sides, so when you face your child, tooth F is on your right.
Right next to it, across the middle, is tooth E, the other upper baby central incisor. Behind it is tooth G, the upper left baby lateral incisor.
Its mirror twin on the right side is tooth E. The tooth in the same spot in the lower jaw is tooth O, the lower left baby central incisor.
Dental charts show the patient's right side on the left, so tooth F sits just right of the center line of the top row. The letters continue across the top: upper left teeth run from F (the front tooth) to J (the back molar).
What does the upper baby central incisor do?
Baby incisors are the front teeth young children use to bite and cut soft food. Baby teeth matter even though they fall out: children need them to chew, speak and smile, and they help the adult teeth come in correctly.
How many roots does tooth F have?
One root, which dissolves as the adult tooth grows underneath.
When to call a dentist about tooth F
If a baby tooth is knocked loose or out in a fall, or your child has swelling, fever or pain, call your dentist. Never put a knocked-out baby tooth back in (Knocked-Out Tooth Rescue explains why). Swelling that makes it hard to breathe or swallow is an emergency: call 911.
Tooth F in FDI and Palmer notation
| System | Tooth F is written | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Universal (ADA, used in the US) | F | Baby teeth are lettered A–T around the mouth, starting at the upper right back molar. |
| FDI / ISO 3950 (international) | 61 | First digit 6 = upper left quarter (baby teeth use 5–8); second digit 1 = first baby tooth from the middle. Said "six-one". |
| Palmer | └A (often typed ULA) | The └ bracket marks the upper left quarter; A = first baby tooth from the middle. |
Palmer stops at E. Palmer letters only run from A to E in each quarter, so an "F" can only be a Universal letter.
FDI baby teeth start with 5 to 8. The first digit 6 marks the upper left baby quarter, so FDI 61 can't be mixed up with an adult tooth.
Letters and numbers don't line up. F is letter 6 of the alphabet, but baby tooth F is replaced by adult tooth 9, not tooth 6.
All baby teeth in the upper left quarter
From the front of the mouth to the back:
| Universal | FDI | Palmer | Tooth |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | 61 | └A (ULA) | Baby central incisor (this tooth) |
| G | 62 | └B (ULB) | Baby lateral incisor |
| H | 63 | └C (ULC) | Baby canine |
| I | 64 | └D (ULD) | Baby first molar |
| J | 65 | └E (ULE) | Baby second molar |
The Tooth Number Chart & Converter converts any tooth between the three systems.
Tools for tooth F
- Teething Calculator: which baby teeth are due at your baby's age.
- Baby Teeth Tracker: log each tooth in and out.
- Kids Fluoride Calculator: how much toothpaste to use; the ADA says a rice-grain smear until age 3, then a pea-size amount.
- Tooth Fairy Calculator: what families give for a lost tooth.
- Dental Treatment Plan Decoder: plain English for treatment-plan shorthand like "#30 MOD comp".
Frequently asked questions
What tooth is letter F?
When does tooth F come in?
When does tooth F fall out?
How common are injuries to tooth F?
Sources
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Permanent Tooth Development (eruption chart). 2012. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Primary Tooth Development (eruption chart). 2012. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dental Growth and Development (chronology after Logan & Kronfeld 1933, adapted 2003). Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Management of the Developing Dentition and Occlusion in Pediatric Dentistry (Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry). latest revision 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- World Health Organization. Oral health surveys: basic methods, 5th edition (tooth notation after ISO 3950). 2013. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Nelson SJ. Elsevier. Wheeler's Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion, 11th edition. 2019.
- American Dental Association. ADA Dental Claim Form (tooth designation systems). Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Dentalcare.com (continuing education course CE500). An Overview of Dental Anatomy: Types of Teeth and their Functions. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Tooth Decay with Baby Bottles. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Levin L et al. (International Association of Dental Traumatology). Dental Traumatology 36(4):309–313. IADT guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries: General introduction. 2020. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Ng L, Malandris M, Cheung W, Rossi-Fedele G. Dental Traumatology 36(4):360–370. Traumatic dental injuries presenting to a paediatric emergency department in a tertiary children's hospital, Adelaide, Australia. 2020. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Petti S, Glendor U, Andersson L. Dental Traumatology 34(2):71–86. World traumatic dental injury prevalence and incidence, a meta-analysis. 2018. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.