It’s so exciting when your children start to lose their baby teeth and the Tooth Fairy comes to visit. (Adult tooth loss isn’t so exciting, of course, but that topic is for another blog!) That toothless grin is all part of growing up. Nevertheless, you may have questions about this stage of your children’s lives. As a dentist in Leesburg, I get questions all the time. Here a few of the more common ones and answers.
When Should Children Start Losing Baby Teeth?
Every child is an individual, developing at his or her own pace. However, in general most children will start to lose their baby teeth between the ages of five and six. But don’t worry if your child is only four or doesn’t lose a tooth until he’s seven years old.
Usually, children lose their bottom front teeth first and the top two front teeth are next. Then the teeth alongside the bottom two will go, and then the two next to the top teeth.
The rest of your children’s teeth including primary molars may not start falling out until they are ten to 12 years old.
Should You Pull Your Child’s Loose Tooth?
Generally, the answer to that question is no. Pulling a primary tooth before it’s truly ready to come out is not a good idea, because there is a risk of damage to gum tissue and the possibility of infection. And pulling too soon will undoubtedly be more painful and cause more bleeding.
Be patient. Most children will play with a loose tooth, wiggling it with their tongue or a finger. Then when the tooth is ready it will fall out on its own.
What If My Child Swallows Her Tooth?
Don’t panic. The worst that can happen is that you’ll disappoint the Tooth Fairy! You’d be surprised how many teeth fall out while children are chewing, and down it goes with their food.
You may want to encourage your children to chew on the other side of their mouth when they have a loose tooth.
What If My Child Is Worried about His Loose Tooth?
Tell your child that losing teeth is perfectly normal and everyone does it—even mom and dad did when they were little. Don’t bring up the subject unless your child wants to talk about it.
You can also bring them in for a checkup. My staff and I will check their teeth and explain in simple terms what happens when teeth fall out. It can be reassuring to hear from a dentist who deals with teeth everyday that a loose tooth is perfectly normal.
And once the Tooth Fairy comes, they may just look forward to another loose tooth!
If you have any other questions about your children’s teeth, or if you need to schedule an appointment, please call your family dentist in Leesburg.
Meet the Doctor
Dr. David Groy is a Leesburg dentist. He and his team of dental hygienists take care of smiles of all ages with preventive dentistry, cosmetic treatments, and restorative care. Call today for an appointment.