Your child can touch your heart with just one smile from the moment their first tooth appears and their grins begin to grow. Over the years, you’ve watched them grow, and all of their baby teeth finally made their way to the surface of their gums, assuring that you’ve made it out of the teething phase. As quickly as you celebrated them all coming in, it seems like there’s another milestone just waiting around the corner: when your little one’s teeth start to fall out. But when do kiddos lose their baby or milk teeth? Let your pediatric dentist in The Woodlands tell you everything you need to know so you can be prepared.
For most children, baby teeth aren’t visible until about six to twelve months old. After their first tooth breaks through the gum line, you’ll find it won’t take much longer for more to appear. These are generally referred to as your primary teeth, and there should be a total of 20 pearly whites in all. Your pediatric dentist in The Woodlands will tell you it’s important to care for this first set of teeth just like you would permanent teeth by having kids brush twice a day and floss once. By the time a child reaches the age of five or six, they’ll begin to lose their baby teeth. (That means it’s Tooth Fairy time!) This process can progress slowly, and it may take a couple of years until they lose all of their remaining baby teeth.
Baby teeth become loose and eventually fall out because your permanent teeth push through beneath the gum line. The mature tooth pushes the baby tooth out by the roots and makes itself right at home. You might be wondering in what order your little one’s teeth will start to fall out? In many cases, the process begins with the teeth that grew in first. Think back to when your baby first started drooling and teething; we’re willing to bet one of their bottom two teeth were first to make an appearance. Most likely, one of those will be the first to fall out.
In terms of baby teeth, does your little one have one that’s a little bit wiggly? Once it starts to jiggle, there’s a good chance it will come out. However, a loose tooth doesn’t mean it will immediately fall out. As the new tooth pushes through the gum line, the baby tooth root has to dissolve or absorb back into the gums before the baby tooth falls out. There’s not really a set timeline for how long this will take. Every kiddo, every smile is different. A few weeks might go by before a loose tooth is completely out.
Losing a baby tooth is a major milestone in a child’s and a parent’s life. It’s not surprising that you might have some questions! Reach out and talk to your pediatric dentist in The Woodlands. We’re here to help provide you with timely advice and relevant information on all of your child’s most common dental concerns.
