Baby teeth need to fill out so that permanent teeth can come in. This process will continue until  the final molars known as wisdom teeth are in. This can take until around 17 to 21 years old.

The first tooth usually go out around age 6 to 7. Some kids lose their teeth as early as 4 years old and others as late as 7 years old. Most kids get excited when a tooth wiggle. On the other hand if the child is worried that it will hurt when the tooth fall out, you can reassure her that she wont feel a thing.

How does baby teeth come out

All the 20 baby teeth usually come in by age 3 and usually fall out in the same order.  This means the lower center teeth are usually the first to go. The top center pair are the next.

A  baby’s  tooth usually comes  out because the permanent ones below pushes it up to take its place. It is also possible for the child to lose the baby  tooth before the permanent one is ready to erupt. This is usually due to dental disease or accident. When this happens, a pediatric dentist sometimes put a custom fit plastic placeholder in until the adult tooth is ready to emerge. This prevents future spacing problems.

The timing of the tooth erupting depends on every child. The earlier  your child’s teeth came in , the earlier they fall out. If your child starts losing her teeth before the age of 4, let your dentist know to make sure that there is no underlying medical problem. You should also know that it may take up to 7 or 8 years for the child to lose her baby teeth.  There may be nothing wrong however it doesnt hurt to check.

How to help a child whose baby teeth is coming out

You  should encourage the child to gently wiggle or wobble the teeth. It is important to tell the child not to yank a tooth before it is ready to come out. This increases the risk of the broken tooth to infection.

A loose tooth that refuses to come out may need to be pulled out by the dentist. This is however hardly necessary.  Losing a baby teeth is seldom as painful as teething.

What permanent teeth look like

The new teeth is bigger especially the first few ones. They also tend to be less white than baby teeth  and have pronounced ridges because they have not been  used for biting or chewing.

In rare cases, a couple of new teeth come in before the baby teeth comes out. This is temporary and known as shark teeth. Around 7 or 8 years old, any soreness at the back of the mouth could be the permanent teeth coming in. You can use ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease the pain. This pain is unlikely to last long.

Brushing your teeth is now very crucial than  ever. You need to supervise the  child to make sure she is brushing well. The American Dental Association recommends using  fluoride toothpaste.You need just a thin smear for kids younger than 2, and a pea-sized dot for kids age 2 and older.

You should replace the toothbrush every 3 to 4 months  to make sure  it works  best and reduce harmful bacteria. Make sure your child sees the dentist twice a year.