If you’re a new parent, you might feel a combination of excitement and curiosity about your child’s developmental milestones, whether they’re your first child or not; after all, every person develops in their own unique way. You might not pay that much attention to your child’s teeth most of the time, but when they have their first loose tooth, it can pique that sense of excitement and curiosity for both you and your child. Most of the time, primary teeth loosen because the secondary teeth are starting to push on them from beneath as they try to erupt from the jaw, though obviously children lose their baby teeth for other reasons, like injury. When caused by the eruption of the permanent teeth, the teeth tend to fall out in the same order in which they came in, starting with the ever-famous two front teeth and gradually working outward toward the molars.
The primary teeth, also known as baby teeth or deciduous teeth, can start to loosen around the age of four, with many children losing their baby teeth between ages five and 15; girls often lose their baby teeth before boys do. If your child still has all their baby teeth by the time they’re eight, make sure they’re regularly seeing a dentist; if they’re not, take them to one so you can rule out any problems. The same is true if your child’s permanent teeth, also known as secondary or adult teeth, start to come in before the corresponding baby teeth have fallen out. You or your child might feel tempted to pull a loose baby tooth, but it’s advisable to let them fall out naturally, to minimize irritation and soreness in the gums. It’s okay for your child to play with their loose tooth, manipulating it with their fingers or tongue, which helps encourage its gradual detachment from the mouth.
If your child has a loose tooth, talk to them about what to expect. Let them know that loose teeth are normal and that people’s baby teeth fall out all the time, including yours once upon a time. If they’re worried about swallowing their tooth when it falls out, explain that they’ll be able to feel the tooth falling out and it won’t happen fast enough for them to swallow. Explain that there might be some blood when the tooth falls out, and that it’s okay to visit the school nurse or talk to the responsible adult if you’re not present when it falls out. You may also want to encourage them to keep their lost tooth in a safe place if it falls out while they’re at school or otherwise not at home, making sure to bring it home so the Tooth Fairy can add it to her collection. Your dentist can recommend informational material for you to read to your child if you want some expert guidance with this conversation.
When the permanent teeth start to break through the gums and emerge in the mouth, your child might feel some discomfort, though this process is nowhere near as painful as teething in infancy. Most of the time, though, the only discomfort arises when the molars emerge, as these are complex, large teeth that take up a fair amount of jaw space, and this discomfort can be managed with over-the-counter medications. If the baby teeth are lost because of injury, see a dentist or medical provider right away, especially if your child is in pain. If the baby teeth are lost due to health concerns like cavities or gum disease, make sure to take your child to the dentist, too. You might think that premature loss of a baby tooth isn’t a big deal, but it can cause complications down the road and should be addressed promptly by a dental professional.