What to do when your child has loose teeth

When your child’s baby teeth start to feel loose, it can be an uncertain time for everyone. Some children may dislike the feeling of loose teeth and ask you to help pull them out or some may feel frightened at the thought of losing teeth. Some might simply be excited for a visit from the tooth fairy!

The process

Children begin to lose their baby teeth at about 6 years old. Molars are the first adult teeth to arrive. They erupt from the gums at the back of the mouth and do not replace any baby teeth. At the same time, the roots of the baby teeth at the front of the mouth are starting to weaken as the permanent teeth grow ready inside the gum. Eventually, the tooth roots become so weakened that the baby teeth become loose and fall out, leaving space for the new adult teeth to come through.

The first baby teeth to fall out are usually the two middle bottom teeth at the front of the mouth, followed closely by the two middle top teeth. Lots of children start to lose their baby teeth at 6 years old, some don’t start to lose their teeth until age 7.

What adults should do

When you notice your child’s baby teeth are loose, let nature take its course. If the teeth are at the front of the mouth i.e., where we would expect the first ones to become wobbly, and your child is around 6 or 7, there’s nothing to worry about.

It is fine to let your child wiggle a loose tooth, some may find it impossible not to! When the tooth is ready to come out, it will fall out easily and with little bleeding. If your child is uncomfortable with a loose tooth and it isn’t coming out of its own accord, a parent or carer can fold a piece of clean tissue over the tooth and gently squeeze. The tooth should then simply pop out.

If the tooth doesn’t come out with a gentle squeeze, don’t take matters into you’re your own hands! Losing a baby tooth too early can affect the position of the permanent adult teeth. When a baby tooth is lost too early, an adult tooth that has already erupted can move into the empty space and become crooked.

Oral care after losing a baby tooth

If your child’s baby tooth comes out cleanly, you can just wrap it up and keep it safe for the tooth fairy. However, if your child has excessive bleeding, you can moisten a tea bag or a piece of gauze and ask your child to bite down on it.

If the bleeding continues for more than two hours, contact your dentist.

Conclusion

You’ll likely be excited that your child has arrived at the milestone of losing their first tooth. You can make it exciting for your child too by telling them about the tooth fairy and/or by explaining that this is all part of growing up.

Finally, if you’d like your child to see a dentist – whether it’s for a loose tooth or anything else – then don’t hesitate to make an appointment with us!

What to do when your child has loose teeth