Average Age for Primary Tooth to Fall Out

The “normal” age at which children begin to lose their teeth varies greatly. Around the age of six, a child’s primary teeth (baby teeth) begin to weaken and fall out to make room for permanent teeth. However, every kid is different, and some children may lose their first tooth as young as four, while others may lose it as late as seven. Children often continue to lose their baby teeth until they are 12 years old. Baby teeth ultimately fall out in order to create room for permanent teeth. In most cases, there are 32 permanent teeth.

The lateral incisors, first molars, canines, and second molars usually fall out first, followed by the two bottom front teeth (lower central incisors) and two top front teeth (upper central incisors). Simply said, teeth frequently fall out in the order in which they came. This is the typical sequence in which teeth are lost, however, it can vary. Each child’s teeth fall out in a distinct pattern and at a different stage of development.

Baby teeth usually stay in their sockets until they are pushed out by permanent teeth. Typically, this is a simple, natural operation. If a kid loses a baby tooth too soon as a result of dental decay or an accident, the empty space may be replaced by a permanent tooth. Crowding of permanent teeth might ensue, leading them to come in crookedly. If you have any concerns, please contact your pediatric dentist.

Guideline for Losing Primary Teeth

Primary teeth emerge when the infant is still in the womb. The baby’s jaws produce the first main tooth buds about 5 weeks of gestation. The crowns of an infant’s twenty “baby” or primary teeth are virtually complete at birth and are concealed within the newborn’s jawbones. The first teeth begin to appear about 6 months of age. The bottom central incisors (the two bottom front teeth) are usually the first to appear (erupt). The upper four front teeth will thereafter emerge. Then, over time, more teeth appear, generally in pairs – one on each side of the upper or lower jaw – until all twenty teeth (10 in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower jaw) have erupted by the time the child is two to three years old. The child’s jaws continue to grow as they prepare for the emergence of permanent (adult) teeth around the age of six. Primary teeth begin to fall out between the ages of 6 and 7. This procedure continues until the child reaches the age of 12. While each child’s tooth eruption timing differs, the order in which teeth grow is more consistent. All 32 permanent teeth should have emerged by the age of 21.

Your child’s tooth is loose – what’s next?

Allowing a loose tooth to come off spontaneously is the best course of action. It can be wiggled but should not be pulled on too soon as this maychil cause the root to break, increasing the risk of infection, bleeding, and bacteria pooling. If your child’s baby tooth is loose, they can gently wiggle it. Even if the movement is small, wiggling the teeth on a daily basis allows your child to evaluate the amount of looseness and helps avoid surprises.

When it comes to wiggling, it’s not only the back and forth action that’ll get the teeth out of the gums. Twisting the teeth clockwise and then counter-clockwise is another great movement that encourages a quicker tooth fall out. When the baby tooth is totally loose and ready to fall out, the following tips will help you prepare for the big event:

• Place an ice cube along the gums for a few minutes before wriggling it out. This will help to numb the gums and make your child more comfortable throughout the operation.
• Using a clean tissue or napkin, pat dry the teeth. Wet teeth are incredibly slick, but dry teeth are easier to grab.
• Twist the teeth for 5-10 seconds in one direction and hold. Then, in the other direction, twist and hold. Keeping the tooth in the twisting position stretches the gum fibers, making it easier to pull the tooth from the gums.

Explain to your kid that when the tooth is extracted, there may be some tingling and bleeding (this may vary depending on the child), but that everything will be OK and the pain and blood will go away quickly. Remind your kid to rinse his or her mouth with warm saltwater. This will relieve any discomfort and help to stop the bleeding. Place a moist cloth on the new gap between their teeth until the bleeding stops. If the discomfort persists, an oral analgesic, an over-the-counter anesthetic, may be administered. Consult your pediatric dentist if the pain and bleeding last longer than an hour. There is no need to be alarmed if your kid accidentally eats a baby tooth. Baby teeth are relatively little and will readily reappear.

Take note: While your child’s tooth is loose, encourage him or her to brush, floss, and eat on a regular basis. If kids complain of pain, Ibuprofen before bedtime is an excellent medicine. While it is always important to seek the advice of a dental expert when it comes to your kid’s dental care, the fact is that you do not need to call a dentist unless your child is experiencing a serious tooth condition. Simply keep seeing your child’s pediatric dentist for periodic exams and oral hygiene sessions to monitor their growth and dental health. You should, however, take your child to the dentist if he or she displays any of the following symptoms:

• The baby tooth was previously loose but has subsequently regained its firmness.
• You can already see the permanent tooth erupting, but the baby tooth has not yet become loose.
• Pain that is worse than typical during the eruption process
• Before the age of five, teeth grow loose.
• Brushing and eating become more challenging.
• Excess plaque accumulates around the tooth, resulting in red, inflamed gums

When your child is slow to lose their first tooth

There is frequently a large age range at which youngsters naturally and properly lose their baby teeth. The majority of parents are concerned about their children’s delayed tooth loss between the ages of 8 and 10. While there may be nothing wrong in these cases, an orthodontist should be visited and an X-ray should be done to evaluate the situation. Parents should not be concerned about delayed tooth loss unless the following conditions are met:

• Crowding occurs because there is inadequate room for permanent teeth. They may be unable to retrieve the baby teeth that are below.
• Permanent teeth are not present at birth. A baby tooth does not usually break loose until the permanent tooth underneath it pushes it upward to take its place. As a result, if a child is missing certain permanent teeth, the process will be slowed in some parts of the mouth.
• When additional teeth form, they might hinder the normal eruption of adult teeth. Your orthodontist can assess if your child has a real issue or is just developing slowly.

Early tooth loss – should you be concerned?

One of the most common questions parents have for their pediatric dentist is if their child’s baby teeth are coming out too rapidly or too slowly. Children lose their baby teeth at different ages, and there is a wide range of what is considered healthy. Baby teeth seldom come out too soon. A child’s first baby tooth is usually lost at the age of six, and the process is completed around the age of twelve. While this timeline is susceptible to change, if your kid loses their first tooth before the age of three or four, you should be concerned. They usually fall out owing to tooth decay or being knocked out. If your kid loses a tooth before the age of six, you should consult a pediatric dentist to rule out any underlying problems or concealed trauma.

When baby teeth are lost too soon, the neighboring teeth might move out of place. This is because the baby teeth act as guides, aiding the permanent teeth in properly emerging. This can influence not just the eruption of the permanent tooth, but also the emergence of neighboring teeth, resulting in significant alignment difficulties. Interceptive orthodontic therapy may be required depending on your child’s age and the location of the prematurely lost tooth or teeth.

Read more at Taft Hill Orthodonitcs

Sources:

• ADA tooth eruption timeline
• Verma N, Bansal A, Tyagi P, Jain A, Tiwari U, Gupta R. Eruption chronology in children: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2017;10(3):278-282. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1450