It’s bound to happen; your child will lose their first tooth. This is an exciting time, but it can also be scary. Hopefully this will help you handle loosing baby teeth with confidence and make it as fun as possible.

Permanent Teeth

There is a set of molars that will grow before your child loses any teeth. They are the first adult teeth that your child will have. They should come in between the ages of six and seven and will grow behind the baby teeth, in the back of the mouth.

Losing Those Baby Teeth

In general, children start losing their baby teeth at the age of 6. Although, if your child’s baby teeth come in early, or late, the adult teeth will follow suit.  Also, your child’s teeth will probably fall out in the same order they came in. The bottom front teeth and top front teeth should come out first. The teeth next to those, on either side, will fall out next following the bottom to top pattern. The last baby tooth should have fallen out by the age of 12.

Look Mom, my tooth wiggles!

Some children may be excited at the idea of losing a tooth, while others may be scared of the pain and blood that may come with it. A cold compress can help with the pain, but you can always call your child’s doctor and ask how to handle the pain. Try to reassure your child that this is normal.  If you are deciding to use a tooth fairy, this may help comfort your child too. It is okay for your child to wiggle the loose tooth, but neither your child nor you should pull the tooth out before it is ready. There is usually little bleeding or pain when the tooth is allowed to fall out on its own.

Congrats on making it to your child’s first loose tooth! Make sure to keep up the healthy habits! We can help. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up-to-date on all of the latest dental news.