When do kids start losing teeth? According to dentists, children’s primary teeth typically fall off at the age of 6. In some cases, this could be delayed for over a year. The first teeth that kids usually lose are the two bottom and top front teeth, followed by the second molars, lateral incisors, and first molars. If you have concerns regarding your child’s teeth, these dentists in Baulkham Hills have a gentle approach not only for kids but for adults as well.
Development Of Teeth In Kids
The primary teeth (also known as the baby tooth) start to develop while the baby is still in the womb. You can expect the baby to have 10 primary teeth at the upper jaw and 10 primary teeth at the bottom jaw hidden in their gums. Technically, the primary teeth stay in place until the permanent tooth pushes them.
The eruption is the process where the baby tooth starts to break through the gum line. This is commonly called teething in babies, each eruption process differs from one child to another. Some kids’ baby tooth erupts in few months while others take quite a while.
The tooth eruption process takes place in the following order:
- Central incisors (lower jaw). These are two front teeth located at the lower jaw. They typically erupt between 6 to 10 months.
- Central incisors (upper jaw). The lower jaw teeth are commonly followed by the front teeth’ upper jaw. It takes place between the 8th and 13th months of the child.
- Lateral incisors. These teeth are located on each side of the central incisors. Both upper and lower lateral incisors erupt shortly after the upper jaw central incisors, although the upper set tends to erupt later than the lower set.
- Flat surfaced back teeth. This set of teeth erupts between the 13th and 19th months.
- Canine teeth. These are located right beside the lateral incisors and usually erupts between the 16th and 23rd months.
- The second set of upper and lower molars. These take place during the 25th months of the baby.
Generally, kids have a total of 20 primary teeth by the time they reach age 3.
How To Care For Primary Teeth
Some people think that it is not important to care for baby teeth since they are meant to fall out anyway. But that is a common misconception that needs to be addressed thoroughly.
Dentists conclude that the baby tooth plays a vital role in the development of their permanent teeth. Additionally, primary teeth have their functions as well. It enables the child to eat, chew, bite, and speak properly. Without their baby teeth, they will not be able to practice proper eating habits and speech skills.
Even though losing the primary teeth is inevitable, it doesn’t mean that they could just fall off due to decay. It’s important to teach kids the importance of oral care and dental hygiene as early as possible.
As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child’s oral health is well cared for. Here’s how you should look after your baby’s developing teeth:
- Infant- keep their gums and mouth clean by wiping using a clean cloth.
- Baby tooth eruption- once their tooth starts to emerge, brush it twice a day with clean water and a soft toothbrush.
- 1 year- take the baby to their first dental visit to the clinic.
- 18 months- at this point you can start teaching them how to use toothpaste.
- 2 years and 6 months- floss in areas where teeth are touching.
- Four to five years old- kids typically learn self-care and hygiene at this stage. Be sure to teach them how to properly clean their teeth on their own.
- Six years old- once they learn how to brush their teeth, encourage them to floss daily.
- 8 years old- kids must be able to brush, floss, and clean up on their own at this point.
Be sure to regularly visit the pediatric dentist on their scheduled appointment. This is a preventative measure that will protect your child from dental problems that might arise in the future.
Losing The Primary Teeth
When kids reach the age of 6, their primary teeth will start to fall off one by one. This is a process that occurs to give way to the emergence of permanent teeth. It is completely normal if kids lose their primary teeth between the age of 4 to 8 years old. However, studies show that girls usually lose their primary teeth earlier than young boys.
The teeth at the front lower jaw are usually the first to fall off, followed by the others. This can be a painful process for kids to go through so be sure to keep the following in mind:
- Reassure them that losing a tooth is normal.
- Relieve the pain by giving them painkillers for kids.
- Cold compress also helps in alleviating pain and discomfort.
After losing the primary teeth, you can expect the permanent teeth to emerge one by one.
