Preparing for your child to lose their teeth

A child’s baby teeth that are commonly referred to as ‘primary teeth’ typically loosen and fall out. This is because your kid’s teeth need to make room for permanent teeth. Being a parent is considering every popular milestone of your little ones like when they start having teeth as well as when they start losing it. In this article, we will be covering the following answers on the following questions.

What age do kids start losing teeth

When do kids start losing their teeth?

What should you do when your kid has a wiggly tooth?
In what order do kids lose teeth?
How to handle loose teeth and care for permanent teeth?

As parents, you can use this article as a complete guide on what to do on this momentous occasion.

The average age when a kid starts losing teeth is between ages six and seven but some lose their teeth as early as four or five. However, sometimes this can also be delayed by a year. If your kid loses baby teeth at the age below four or hasn’t lost it by age seven or eight is advised to visit a pediatric dentist to ensure everything.

Usually, the two bottom front teeth known as ‘lower central incisors’ fall out first with the two top front teeth or the ‘upper central incisors. Often, the baby teeth stay in place till the permanent teeth push them out. It is also expected that in cases where a tooth decays which caused a kid to lose teeth then a permanent tooth can just simply drift into the empty spaces. As the permanent tooth comes in, the roots of the baby tooth will dissolve making it easier to fall out.

What should you do when your kid has a wiggly tooth?

Nothing. You won’t need to do anything when your child starts to lose teeth because it will fall out on its own. Sometimes kids love to play with their wiggly teeth using their tongue and there’s nothing you should worry about as long as it doesn’t damage their gums. Just make sure that you teach your kid how to clean up and sanitize the mount by using saltwater to gargle and to gently brush his teeth.

In what order do kids lose teeth?

A teeth eruption chart showing the detailed ages when a kid starts losing teeth and when it starts to gain permanent teeth which were presented by the American Dental Association. Below is the summary of the chart.

Tooth name and position	Eruption timeline	Loss timeline
Lower central incisors	6 to 10 months old	6 to 7 years old
Upper central incisors	8 to 12 months old	6 to 7 years old
Upper lateral incisors	9 to 13 months old	7 to 8 years old
Lower lateral incisors	10 to 16 months old	7 to 8 years old
Upper first molars	13 to 19 months old	9 to 11 years old
Lower first molars	14 to 18 months old	9 to 11 years old
Upper canines	16 to 22 months old	10 to 12 years old
Lower canines	17 to 23 months old	9 to 12 years old
Lower second molars	23 to 31 months old	10 to 12 years old
Upper second molars	25 to 33 months old	10 to 12 years old

In total, your baby kid will have 20 baby teeth which begin to grow at the 6 months of age to the age of 3. As your kid reaches 6 years old, that’s the time when you could eventually notice that your kid is losing teeth and by the age of 12 it is expected that your kid will have 32 permanent adult teeth.

How to handle loose teeth and care for permanent teeth?

It is necessary that you must start practicing with your child the ways to have good oral hygiene to teach him proper dental care especially when baby teeth start to fall out. Here are some tips on handling loose teeth and taking care of adult teeth.

Talk to your kid and let him know that losing teeth at his age is normal.
Never pull a baby tooth with force because it may cause pain to your kid.
You may encourage your kid to wiggle a loose baby tooth as long as it doesn’t hurt him to help it fall out easily.
Book an appointment with a dentist if necessary to let your kid’s baby tooth be checked.
Make scheduled check-ups for a dental cleaning at least twice a year for your kid.
Remind your kid to gently brush teeth after meals at least twice a day.
You may help your kid by supervising how to clean his teeth every day.
Give him a healthy diet and foods and drinks that are sugary like candies and chocolates.

In this kind of situation, there is nothing to get worried about because a kid losing teeth is a part of their growth. Advisably, guide your kid during this time and check the timeline in the baby teeth chart so you can book an appointment with a dentist to check your kid’s teeth when you’re in doubt. With proper care, you can help your kid maintain a good tooth that would last for a lifetime. As a parent, teaching your kid to understand proper ways to maintain dental hygiene is very important to keep their teeth in healthy shape.