Your Child’s First Lost Tooth? – The Tooth Fairy Beckons
Every child’s growing up years are filled with several milestones and many firsts. One such landmark in the life of parents and their tiny tots is the announcement, “I have a wiggly tooth”. When the permanent teeth are ready to start emerging, baby teeth begin falling out. Once your child starts feeling a wiggly tooth, they may be both excited and nervous. Here’s everything you should know about falling baby teeth so that you can reassure your little one that this is a natural progression.
1. How Soon Do Baby Teeth Erupt and Start Falling
- Most children get approximately 20 baby teeth by the age of 3 and start losing their first tooth as early as age 4 or as late as age 7.
- Typically the teeth start falling out in the same order that they first erupted. Lower centre teeth first, followed by the upper centre and then the rest. Generally, if the first set of baby teeth has emerged at a younger age, the first tooth fall will also occur earlier than usual.
- Usually, every baby tooth falls out only when the permanent tooth is ready to take its place, but at times, a baby tooth may fall out early due to injury or illness. At such times, a family dentist may need to custom-fit a space holder to prevent any potential teeth spacing issues.
2. Managing Loose or Fallen Baby Teeth
- There is no pain or discomfort when the baby tooth falls. While most of the time the tooth will fall on its own, if it has become very wobbly, let your child gently tug at the tooth and gradually wiggle it out
- Celebrate the first fallen tooth as a sign of your tiny tot growing up. Create a special, personalized Smile Certificate that will always be a reminder of this milestone for you and your family.
- Thanks to popular folklore, most parents tell their children to place the fallen tooth under their pillow. At night, the tooth fairy pays a visit and leaves behind a little gift or a few dollars in exchange for the tooth. Make this legend believable and let your child enjoy the process of losing baby teeth and getting new ones. When they are older, you can bust the myth and let them know that you were their tooth fairy all those years!
3. Caring for the New, Permanent Teeth
- Permanent teeth look bigger and may look less white than the baby teeth.
- Help your little ones brush and keep their mouths clean by assisting them till the age of 8 or until they are able to be effective. Use very little toothpaste for kids; a tiny dot is sufficient.
- Replace their toothbrushes every 3 months and take them for dental exams every 6 months.
- By the age of 13, most of the permanent teeth would have emerged, except for the wisdom teeth. These final set of molars typically make an appearance between ages 17 to 21.
Children’s Dental Services at Your Family Dental Clinic in Red DeerIt is essential to take your little ones for timely dental visits. At Parkland Mall Dental Centre, we encourage parents to book an annual or half yearly dental exam to ensure that your toddler’s home dental care regimen is working as desired. Our trained and friendly team will look after your child’s needs and also offer you tips and suggestions to maintain their oral hygiene.
Entrust your child’s dental health to our family dentists at the Parkland Mall Dental Centre in Red Deer. Call us at 403-342-1118 or use our online form to book an appointment. We always welcome new dental patients of all ages!