Table of Contents
Learn When do Kids Start Losing Teeth: A Complete Guide
Being a parent, you are surely pretty interested in knowing every single fact about your kids. From the right kind of nutrition for the kids to the proper way of bathing the babies, everything grabs your attention every now and then. Even a piece of paper advertising the best health tips for the kids can stop you in the middle of the road. You want to know how to teach them to speak properly; when do kids start losing teeth and many other relevant facts.
Of course, this concern is genuine. But, in the era of commercialization, you must choose the source of information wisely. Not all of the advertisements you see or the information you receive are beneficial for your kids. So, always verify the ads and cross-check the information.
This article will discuss every detail about when do kids start losing teeth. Hope this will help to gain some more knowledge regarding your kids’ health and well-being. We have done our research and tried to provide the most accurate and beneficial information here. Still, a doctor’s guidance is recommended for any action you take for your child.
So, here it goes. Let’s know when do kids start losing teeth and other important factors regarding it.
When do Kids Start Losing Teeth: The Age and the Process
The kids lose their milk teeth and get permanent teeth in the vacant place at an early age. Usually, they begin to lose teeth nearly at the age of 6. Well, this can be delayed for 1 year or two. So, if your kid is behind the race in respect to losing the teeth, don’t panic. It is entirely natural.
Baby teeth do not fall to until it gets a push from the permanent teeth. Once the permanent teeth are ready to come out, it knocks the milk teeth and the roots of the baby teeth get loose. And after few days, they fall out. And gradually, the permanent teeth come out of the vacant place. Sometimes, kids lose their milk teeth or baby teeth before the natural time due to accident or tooth decay. In that case, the shape of the permanent teeth in that place may get disturbed.
When Do Kids Start losing Teeth: The Order
Now you know when do kids start losing teeth. Let’s discuss the order of the fall out of the teeth. The teeth generally fall out the way they started to develop. This phase of losing teeth seems interesting to the kids every now and then. Many fairy tales and stories are associated with losing teeth as well. For example, kids love to listen to the stories of the tooth fairy. As per the myth, if you keep your loose baby teeth properly, they will be taken by the tooth fairy and she fulfills every wish you make. So that’s how the stories are made.
Now, let’s move forward with the order of losing teeth.
First Phase: Lower Central Incisors
Can you feel the two bottom front teeth inside your gum? Yes, that’s the lower central incisors. As this pair of teeth is the first one to come out, it falls out at first as well. It is one of the most essential parts of the teeth’ structure. So, losing it may upset your kid a bit. From trouble in eating to disturbing the aesthetics of the face, many factors come up when kids start losing these set of teeth.
Second Phase: Upper Central Incisors
After the lower central incisors, the next pair of teeth on the queue are upper central incisors. You can find them at the front position of the upper row of your teeth structure. This pair of teeth also is a major part to develop the beauty of your kids’ smile.
Third Phase: Upper Lateral Incisors
In the next phase, generally, the upper lateral incisors fall out. These are the adjacent pair of the central incisors. As baby teeth, they come out just after the central incisors. So, when the time of fallout arrives, kids lose it after the central incisor. This usually happens at the age of 7 or 8.
Fourth Phase: Lower Lateral Incisors
After the upper lateral incisors are gone, it’s time to lose the lateral incisors on the lower gum. After several fallouts, this phase is not that much depressing to the kids as the early ones. So, simply just follow the necessary guidelines to take care of the gum and the emerging permanent teeth.
Fifth Phase: Primary First Molars
For the molars, coming out as baby teeth is more painful than the fall. The kids generally survive the pain at the age of 13-19 months. So, if your child has already gone through that painful phase, do not worry about the fallout. Kids lose their primary first molars at the age of 9-11 years. These are the primary teeth for chewing the food. So, teach the kids to brush properly and maintain them when they come up.
Sixth Phase: The Canines
Whenever we mention the term ‘canine’, the image of carnivorous animals come up in our mind. But, the pairs of canines are essential for mankind as well. Being one of the significant parts of the teeth structure, it comes out after the first molars between the age of 13-19 months. And the teeth shed between 9 to 12 years of age.
The Final Phase: Primary Second Molars
The primary second molars are the last teeth to fall down. Usually, at the age between 10 to 12 years, these teeth say goodbye to the gums. Thus, all of the baby teeth go away welcoming the fresh permanent teeth.
Proper Dental Care for the Time of Losing Teeth
Now you know when do kids start losing teeth. Alongside this, you must have an idea about the necessary dental care for this time. Losing teeth is a sensitive issue to be taken care of properly. When your child loses its first tooth, it may be painful and problematic. Though it is a completely natural phenomenon, without proper care, it may harm overall dental health. So, how to take care of your kids’ teeth at this time? Let’s know.
Brush Daily: Cleaning the teeth with regular brushing is important. Teach your kids to brush regularly at least twice a day. Preferably, they should brush once in the morning and once at night before going to sleep.
Wash Mouth after Eating: Make sure that your kids wash their mouths properly after every meal. Otherwise, the tiny pieces of food get stuck among the teeth. This may lead to cavities or other problems. And due to that, losing teeth becomes more hectic. So, teach them to wash their mouth properly whenever they eat something; even if it is a single piece of small chocolate.
You might be wondering how to wash their mouth properly. Well, dentists are the best persons to contact for this matter. However, we guide you here a bit in this matter. First of all, let your kid take a mouthful of freshwater. Then, ask him or her to roll it inside the mouth. After moving it inside several times, throw it out in the basin. Continue the process more than once to clean the mouth and the teeth inside.
Healthy Diet: To maintain good dental health, ensure a healthy meal for your kids. You can get several healthy meal recipes for kids online. Yes, a healthy platter throughout the day rejuvenates your kids both from inside and outside. It helps to keep the dental health good as well. A good diet enriched with adequate amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals, and other essential ingredients provides the required nutrition to the kids’ teeth. And, thus, when do kids start losing teeth, it becomes easier for them to handle.
The nutrition components of the healthy diet strengthen the gums so that they withstand the loss and the new emergence at once. Well, along with a regular healthy diet, there are some special guides for the foods for this time of losing teeth. Now, you already have an idea about when do kids start losing teeth. Consider the time and manage to keep lots of soft food in your kitchen. Your little star will need it definitely.
When children find their teeth loose from the gum, they may ask for soft foods. Chewing hard foods may be troublesome for them. So, store soft, light, and healthy foods like soft pasta, boiled fish, smoothies, oats, yogurt, etc. in your kitchen.
Also, keep some ice cream in your freezer. You can give them a small bar of ice cream to soothe the common discomfort during losing teeth. The cooling sensation of the ice cream heals the inflammation in the gum. Well, this is just a brief guide. To know about the food during losing teeth for the kids in detail, visit a pediatric dentist.
When do kids lose teeth: How to deal with the journey?
As we discussed earlier, losing teeth is a significant phenomenon for kids. For most of the kids, initially, it seems tough to manage. Later on, they get used to it. Some kids, however, feel pain in the gums and the teeth roots. For many of them, the whole process may appear quite depressing. With an empty front row of teeth structure, they may get upset for losing the natural beauty of the mouth.
Sometimes, the sensitive minds of the children get disturbed when they feel the empty space at the front of the mouth. Some of them try to hide it; they don’t want to open up their mouth. Also, some of them refrain from smiling thinking that it won’t look nice to smile with an empty tooth cell.
So, in these cases, handle the matters gently and maturely. Kids are sensitive; delicate their minds are. So, as a parent, the responsibility is on you to handle the emotional upheavals and physical issues of your kids during losing teeth.
Being a parent you must know when do kids start losing teeth and teach them to deal with it properly.
Now, how to handle it? Here are the details. Go through it, you surely will get an idea about how to deal with your kids’ long, overwhelming journey of losing teeth.
Feel the loose teeth: First of all, do not pull the baby teeth forcefully ever. Let it fall down in its own way. What you can do is to teach your kid to feel the loose teeth with its tongue. If it is likely to fall down, it will. The movement of the tongue helps to push it to shed. But if the route is still not in a mood to leave the gum, let it be.
Hard foods can detach the teeth: Sometimes, teeth stay loose for a long time and cause pain and discomfort. In that case, the best way to get rid of the teeth is to give your child a certain amount of hard food e.g. popcorn, nuts etc. to chew. It will help to dislodge the teeth easily. And thus, the pain gets reduced.
Anyways, hard food is only to dismantle the teeth. It is not at all recommended for a complete meal. For the meal, give your kids soft foods that do not need much chewing. Otherwise, they may feel irritation in the gum.
Keep brushing properly: It is highly important to brush the teeth regularly. No matter how many baby teeth are there or how many have gone, brushing must go on. It keeps the kids’ gum and teeth well. As you know now when do kids start losing teeth, remember to brush gently these days with a soft-bristled brush.
Bleeding is normal: Many times, bleeding comes out of the gum and teeth roots while losing the teeth. This is completely natural. Do not panic and encourage your kid not to get scared—no need to rush to the dentist. When bleeding comes out of the gum, simply handle it with a calm mind.
First, let your kids was the inner part of the mouth properly. Wipe the face well. Then, check if the tooth is already fallen. If it is stuck to the gum yet, ask your kids to roll the tongue around the tooth and make it fall. However, if there is any pain after the bleeding is over, consult a doctor for some anti-pain medication.
An ice pack can heal the soreness: You already know when do kids start losing teeth. Now, you must know about the remedies to cure the discomfort at this time. If your kids face any soreness in the gum, an ice pack is the best way to heal the pain. So, keep enough ice inside the freezer to use instantly at the time of need.
Encourage the kids to stay vibrant and positive: Along with physical health care, you must take care of your kids’ emotional well-being. Do not let them squeeze their face in the pillow in utter despair. Yes, many kids do that.
Keep them happy in every possible way. Otherwise, the discomfort of losing teeth may increase.
You can make their favorite smoothies, turn on their favorite cartoon shows. Also, you can tell them real-time stories of your time when you lost your teeth. If your baby is not much grown up to understand your stories, get them a baby jumper to play with.
So, in this way, you can deal with the teeth loss journey of your kids. Keep these effective tips in mind when your kids start losing teeth.
Now, taking our discussion forward, let’s answer some of the frequently asked questions. The answers will surely clear the doubts regarding when do kids start losing teeth and the various aspects of losing baby teeth.
When Do Kids Start Losing Teeth: Some Frequently Asked Questions
What is the usual time for babies to get their first teeth?
Well, generally, babies get their first teeth within 6 months after their birth. For girls, it is a bit earlier than the boys. However, the time may vary considering the unique nature and genetic structure of the babies.
When should I start brushing my kids’ teeth?
Start proper brushing when they get their first teeth. Before that, wash their mouth simply with cold water.
How to brush the babies’ teeth properly?
It is one of the most-asked questions from the parents. Dentists recommend using soft-bristled brushes for the babies as their tender gums may get hurt by the hard bristles. Brush twice a day gently. You can also use clean washcloths instead of brushes.
What is the right kind of toothpaste for the little kids?
When the babies just get their first teeth, apply simple water. Then, gradually when they grow up, use any good quality, fluoride-free toothpaste. Once they reach the age of 3 years, you can start using toothpaste with fluoride.
Do I need to take my kid to the dentist when they lose teeth?
It is not necessary to go for frequent visits to specialists as losing teeth is a natural happening. But yes, if any unwanted circumstances like heavy bleeding, swollen gum, etc., visit a dentist immediately. So, keep your dentist’s number at your reach.
Is there any chance of infection during losing teeth?
Usually, kids do not suffer any kind of infection at this time. But, to avoid any little chances of it, take care of everything properly. And if, unfortunately, the infection comes to disturb your little kid, give proper medication consulting with the doctor.
Wrapping it Up
So, the article discusses at large when do kids start losing teeth and other necessary details. I hope this will help to take care of your kids in this exciting yet alarming time.
