A child’s baby teeth normally start falling out around age 6 to 7. The order the baby teeth start becoming loose tends to be similar to the order they initially grew in.
For instance, the front teeth on the top or bottom are often the first to start to get loose, since for most kids those are also the first teeth to come in when they are a baby.
While it varies from child to child, the lower front teeth are the most common to fall out first, followed by the upper front teeth and then eventually the back teeth.
Children can aid the process by gently wiggling their loose teeth, which parents can encourage them to do. Wiggling can help the loose teeth fall out more quickly and easily, but it’s important that parents know that a child should only wiggle gently. Avoid your child pulling on their teeth or using hard pressure.
It’s important for the teeth to fall out naturally, so those old stories of tying a tooth to the doorknob and slamming the door are definitely not something any dentist will recommend.
Occasionally, children will experience minor discomfort or a little bleeding as a tooth falls out. This is normal and not something to be concerned about.
If your child is experiencing significant pain or bleeding during this process, contact your dentist right away for an evaluation.
By the age of 6-7 hopefully your child has been seeing a dentist regularly. If not, this is a good time to start. It’s important for a dentist to be able to monitor how the baby teeth are progressing, and how the adult teeth are coming in to ensure a healthy smile into adulthood.