When do Baby Teeth Fall Out?
Is it time for your child’s teeth to start falling out? As exciting as a milestone as it is, the age in which it happens can vary from one child to the next. Some children get teeth earlier than their siblings and other children lose teeth later than their peers. Everything from a child’s age to their gender can play a role.
Generally speaking, most children lose their first tooth around age six. If you have a child in kindergarten or first grade, tooth loss is just one of many firsts they’ll be experiencing. Age six is also the time where the first adult teeth start to come in: the ones replacing the baby teeth about to fall out, as well as permanent molars near the back of their mouths.
Girls typically get their teeth sooner than boys.
Exfoliation Over Time
When a dentist talks about teeth falling out, they use the term “exfoliation.” This process of teeth coming in and shedding starts at the front of the mouth, working its way back.
Although teeth start falling out around age six, it’s not until most children are around 12 years old when the final baby teeth fall out. That means when it’s time for junior high, most of the baby teeth will be long gone.
When do the Last Teeth Come In?
Although the last baby tooth falls out sometime in late middle school, your child’s adult smile is still forming. Erupted adult teeth may not have fully developed roots quite yet, which is why some types of dental procedures are avoided until they’re older.
Wisdom teeth generally start to make an appearance sometime during high school or college. But it’s not uncommon for young adults well into their late 20s to experience the uncomfortable stages of a wisdom tooth coming through.
Making Sure Your Child’s Smile is On Track
In specific situations, some children’s teeth don’t fall out without a little…intervention. For example, certain types of disorders may prevent baby teeth from resorbing (shrinking) when they’re pressed on by the adult tooth. This situation can lead to the permanent teeth becoming impacted and a host of orthodontic problems. If that’s the case, they may need to have their family or pediatric dentist extract the tooth on a certain schedule.
In other instances, a lack of a tooth falling out could indicate a developmental irregularity or a missing tooth (which isn’t as uncommon as you may think.)
To ensure your child’s smile is developing properly, be sure to see a dentist at least every six months, starting around your son or daughter’s first birthday. With regular oversight, a host of unwanted dental complications can be avoided.
The Key to a Healthy Smile in Adults
Your child’s smile sets the bar for healthy, straight adult teeth later on in their life. Baby teeth guide the permanent ones into the right place, so losing one prematurely could be a problem.
