Most children lose all 20 baby teeth between the ages of 6 and 12. The first baby tooth typically falls out around age 6, and the last ones, the second molars in the back of the mouth, come out between ages 10 and 12. The full process takes about six years from start to finish.
The Order Baby Teeth Fall Out
Baby teeth don’t fall out randomly. They follow a predictable pattern that mirrors the order they came in. Lower teeth generally fall out before their upper counterparts, and front teeth go before back teeth. Here’s the typical sequence:
- Lower central incisors (bottom front teeth): ages 6 to 7
- Upper central incisors (top front teeth): ages 6 to 7
- Lower lateral incisors (bottom sides of front teeth): ages 7 to 8
- Upper lateral incisors (top sides of front teeth): ages 7 to 8
- Lower canines (bottom “fangs”): ages 9 to 12
- Upper first molars: ages 9 to 11
- Lower first molars: ages 9 to 11
- Upper canines: ages 10 to 12
- Lower second molars: ages 10 to 12
- Upper second molars: ages 10 to 12
That gap-toothed grin most kids sport in first grade comes from losing those four front incisors first. Then there’s often a quiet stretch of a year or two before the canines and molars start loosening up around ages 9 to 11.
What Happens Underneath
A baby tooth falls out because the permanent tooth growing beneath it gradually dissolves the baby tooth’s root. As the root gets shorter and shorter, the baby tooth loosens until it finally comes free. This is why a lost baby tooth looks hollow at the bottom, with little to no root left. The permanent tooth then pushes through the gum into the space left behind.
The permanent teeth that replace baby molars are called premolars (or bicuspids). Meanwhile, the adult first molars, the big ones that appear around age 6, erupt behind the baby teeth without replacing anything. They simply fill in the extra jaw space that has grown since infancy. This is worth knowing because parents sometimes mistake these new molars for baby teeth.
Why Some Kids Lose Teeth Earlier or Later
The age ranges above are averages, and healthy children can fall well outside them. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry notes that “many otherwise normal infants do not conform strictly to the stated schedule.” A child who got their first baby tooth at 4 months, for instance, will often start losing teeth earlier than a child whose first tooth didn’t appear until 12 months.
Girls tend to lose baby teeth earlier than boys. This is driven by hormonal differences: estrogen at prepubertal levels appears to accelerate tooth development, which is why girls typically run a few months ahead of boys throughout the entire shedding process.
Nutrition, genetics, and overall health also play a role. Children with certain chronic conditions or nutritional deficiencies may see delays. But in most cases, being a year ahead or behind the typical schedule is completely normal and not a sign of any underlying problem.
When Tooth Loss Is Delayed
Delayed emergence of permanent teeth due to local factors (problems in the mouth itself) affects roughly 4% of children. The teeth most commonly delayed are the lower second premolars, upper canines, and upper central incisors.
The most common causes are crowding that blocks the permanent tooth’s path, a tooth growing in the wrong direction (especially upper canines, which can angle toward the palate), and extra teeth forming in the jaw that physically block the normal tooth from coming through. If a baby tooth is still firmly in place with no signs of loosening well past the expected age range, a dental X-ray can show whether a permanent tooth is present underneath and whether something is blocking it.
When Baby Teeth Fall Out Too Early
Losing a baby tooth ahead of schedule, whether from a fall, a cavity, or an extraction, can create problems if the permanent replacement isn’t ready to come in yet. The surrounding teeth tend to drift into the empty space, which can crowd out the permanent tooth and lead to alignment issues later.
To prevent this, dentists sometimes place a space maintainer. This is a small metal device that holds the gap open until the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. The type of spacer depends on which tooth was lost and the condition of the teeth around it. Space maintainers are most important for baby molars lost early, since those spaces need to stay open for months or even years before the premolars arrive.
Front baby teeth lost early are less of a concern structurally because the permanent incisors usually aren’t far behind. The main issue there is cosmetic, and most kids take it in stride.
The Full Timeline at a Glance
Between ages 6 and 8, your child will lose the eight front teeth (four on top, four on bottom). Between ages 9 and 12, the canines and molars follow. By age 12 or 13, most children have a full set of 28 permanent teeth, with the four wisdom teeth still hidden in the jaw. Those wisdom teeth, if they come in at all, typically appear between ages 17 and 21, bringing the adult total to 32.
If your child hasn’t lost any baby teeth by age 8, or still has several baby teeth remaining past age 13, a dental X-ray can confirm whether the permanent teeth are developing normally. In the vast majority of cases, late bloomers catch up without any intervention.