Most children lose their first baby tooth around age 6, though some don’t start until age 7. The process then continues for several years, with the last baby teeth typically falling out between ages 11 and 13. If your child is in that range and hasn’t lost a tooth yet, or started earlier than their classmates, that’s almost always normal.
Which Teeth Fall Out First
The two bottom front teeth are nearly always the first to go, usually between ages 6 and 7. The top front teeth follow about a year later, between ages 7 and 8. After that, the teeth next to those (the lateral incisors) loosen and fall out, with the bottom ones going around 7 to 8 and the top ones around 8 to 9.
This front-to-back pattern makes sense when you picture how a child’s jaw is growing. The permanent teeth developing underneath put pressure on the roots of the baby teeth above them, gradually dissolving those roots until the baby tooth has nothing anchoring it in place. The front teeth are smaller with simpler roots, so they’re replaced first.
The Full Timeline, Tooth by Tooth
After the front eight teeth are done (usually by age 9), there’s often a lull before the back teeth start falling out. Here’s the general sequence, based on age ranges from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry:
- Bottom front teeth: 6 to 7 years
- Top front teeth: 7 to 8 years
- Bottom lateral incisors: 7 to 8 years
- Top lateral incisors: 8 to 9 years
- Bottom canines (pointed teeth): 9 to 11 years
- Top first molars: 9 to 11 years
- Bottom first molars: 10 to 12 years
- Top canines: 11 to 12 years
- Top second molars: 9 to 12 years
- Bottom second molars: 11 to 13 years
So the whole process spans roughly six to seven years. A child who loses their first tooth at 6 might not lose their last baby molar until they’re 12 or 13. Bottom teeth tend to fall out before their upper counterparts at every position in the mouth.
Why Baby Teeth Get Loose
A baby tooth doesn’t just randomly fall out. The permanent tooth growing beneath it triggers a biological process that slowly breaks down the baby tooth’s root. As the child’s jaw grows and they chew, mechanical pressure on the baby tooth increases over time. The tissue connecting the tooth to the jawbone responds to that pressure by releasing signals that ramp up root breakdown.
This is why a loose tooth can wobble for weeks before finally coming out. The root is dissolving bit by bit. By the time the tooth falls out, there’s almost no root left, which is why baby teeth look so tiny and hollow at the bottom compared to what you might expect.
Interestingly, even baby teeth that don’t have a permanent tooth waiting underneath will eventually undergo some root breakdown, just more slowly and starting later. This can happen when a permanent tooth is congenitally missing, a situation that affects a small percentage of children.
Early or Late Tooth Loss
Children who got their first baby teeth early (around 4 to 5 months old) tend to lose them earlier too. Kids who were late teethers often lose teeth on the later end of the range. Girls, on average, lose teeth slightly earlier than boys. None of this is cause for concern on its own.
Losing a baby tooth before age 4, however, is worth paying attention to. The most common reasons for premature tooth loss are tooth decay and injury from a fall or impact. When a baby tooth is lost too early, the neighboring teeth can drift into the gap, potentially blocking the permanent tooth from coming in straight. In these cases, a pediatric dentist may place a space maintainer, a small custom device (metal or acrylic) that holds the gap open until the permanent tooth is ready to come through. Once the new tooth starts emerging from the gum, the maintainer is removed.
On the other end, some children don’t lose their first tooth until age 8. This is less common but usually not a problem. A dental X-ray can confirm that permanent teeth are developing normally underneath.
What to Do When a Tooth Falls Out
When a baby tooth comes out naturally, there’s usually minimal bleeding. If the spot does bleed, have your child bite down on a small piece of folded gauze with firm pressure for a few minutes. A cold compress on the outside of the cheek can help with any mild swelling or soreness.
Your child can eat and drink normally afterward, though softer foods may be more comfortable for the rest of the day. Encourage gentle brushing around the area to keep it clean. The gum tissue heals quickly, and the gap will start to close as the permanent tooth pushes through over the following weeks or months.
Knocked-Out Teeth Are Different
If a baby tooth gets knocked out from a fall or accident rather than coming out on its own, don’t try to put it back in. Reinserting a baby tooth can damage the permanent tooth developing underneath. Keep the tooth moist, and contact your child’s dentist for follow-up. Check the lips, tongue, and gums to make sure no tooth fragments are embedded in the soft tissue.
This is the opposite of what you’d do with a permanent tooth. If an older child or teen gets a permanent tooth knocked out, you should try to reinsert it into the socket as quickly as possible, handling it only by the crown (the white part, not the root). If reinsertion isn’t possible, store the tooth in milk, not tap water, and get to a dentist immediately.
The Awkward In-Between Stage
Between ages 6 and 12, your child will have a mix of baby teeth and permanent teeth, sometimes called “mixed dentition.” Permanent teeth often look disproportionately large next to the remaining baby teeth, especially the top front ones. This is completely normal. The child’s face and jaw are still growing, and things will look more proportional over time.
Permanent teeth also tend to look more yellow or off-white compared to baby teeth, which are naturally whiter. This color difference is especially noticeable when new permanent teeth sit right next to baby teeth that haven’t fallen out yet. It’s not a sign of poor hygiene or damage. Once all the permanent teeth are in, the color will look uniform.
The last permanent teeth to arrive (not counting wisdom teeth) are the second molars, which typically come in around age 12 to 13, right around when the final baby teeth are falling out. Wisdom teeth, if they develop, don’t usually appear until the late teens or early twenties.