Front Teeth―First In, First Out
Children grow up too fast. So many
milestones pass: crawling, walking, talking, getting his or her first tooth.
Another milestone is losing his or her first tooth. As those baby teeth fall
out and their adult counterparts come in, your child graduates to the next
level of dental hygiene.
So what actually happens? In simple
terms, your child’s permanent teeth slowly start growing below the primary
teeth. As they do, the baby teeth’s roots begin to get absorbed into the gums.
As the root recedes and the permanent teeth erupt, the primary teeth are pushed
out―this is the “loosening” your child will be most preoccupied with. The
permanent teeth take the place of the primary teeth, essentially following the
same path previously followed by their predecessors.
The first baby teeth to go (absent
any unforeseen trauma or deplorable hygiene habits) are usually the lower
center incisors—the two bottom teeth in the middle. Why? Simple―these teeth are
the first to come in and therefore the first to go. This pattern follows for
all twenty of the primary teeth—for the most part, they will leave in the order
they arrived.
Although there is no set time for
this to happen, the first baby tooth typically will fall out when your child is
between the ages of 4 and 7. As a general rule of thumb, the earlier your child
gets a first tooth, the sooner he or she will lose the first tooth. If the
front center teeth haven’t started loosening by ages 6 to 7, you should come
see Dr. Jared, in case the permanent teeth are blocked by extra teeth present in the
jaw. Once the front center teeth go, the rest will follow in a process that
should last about six years from start to finish.
Be ready for when your child’s teeth
start to fall out. Communicate with your child about why his or her tooth is
falling out and why it is not something to worry about. You should also explain
to your child why it’s not necessary to be overly ambitious and yank out any
loose teeth. Don’t hesitate to call us with any concerns.
If you have questions about loose teeth, click here to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jared. Or give us a call at (509)-891-7070.