Most children lose their first baby tooth around age 6 and their last around age 12. The full process takes about six years, with teeth falling out in a predictable sequence that closely mirrors the order they originally came in.
The Complete Timeline by Tooth Type
The two bottom front teeth (lower central incisors) are almost always the first to go, typically between ages 6 and 7. The two top front teeth follow shortly after, also between 6 and 7. From there, the pattern moves outward and backward through the mouth:
- Central incisors (front teeth): 6 to 7 years
- Lateral incisors (next to front teeth): 7 to 8 years
- First molars: 9 to 11 years
- Canines (pointed teeth): 9 to 12 years
- Second molars (back teeth): 10 to 12 years
By age 13, most children have all 28 of their permanent teeth in place. The only teeth still to come after that are wisdom teeth, which typically push through between ages 17 and 21.
Why Baby Teeth Fall Out
Baby teeth don’t just loosen randomly. The process starts when a permanent tooth developing beneath the gum begins pushing upward. As it rises, specialized cells break down the root of the baby tooth above it, gradually dissolving the hard tissue (root and surrounding bone) along with the soft tissue holding the tooth in place. Normal chewing forces and the growth of a child’s jaw add mechanical pressure that speeds things along.
Once enough of the root has been dissolved, the baby tooth has nothing anchoring it. It loosens, wobbles for days or weeks, and eventually falls out, leaving a clear path for the permanent tooth to emerge. This is why baby teeth that come out naturally often look like they have no root at all.
What Happens When Teeth Fall Out Early
Sometimes a baby tooth is lost well before the permanent tooth is ready to replace it. The most common reasons are tooth decay severe enough to require extraction, a sports injury or fall, or, less frequently, gum disease or an underlying medical condition. Losing a baby tooth too early matters because baby teeth act as placeholders. They guide permanent teeth into their correct positions. Without that guide, neighboring teeth can drift into the empty space, causing the adult tooth to come in crooked or crowded.
If your child loses a baby tooth early from an injury, a dentist can sometimes place a space maintainer, a small device that holds the gap open until the permanent tooth is ready to come through.
When Baby Teeth Don’t Fall Out
On the other end of the spectrum, some baby teeth hang on far longer than expected. The most common reason is that there’s simply no permanent tooth underneath to push the baby tooth out. This condition, called tooth agenesis, is more common in females and often runs in families. About 2 to 8 percent of people are missing at least one permanent tooth (not counting wisdom teeth). In mild cases, just one or two permanent teeth never develop. In rare cases, many or even all permanent teeth are absent.
A permanent tooth can also be present but stuck. It may be impacted, meaning it stays trapped in the bone or gum tissue and never pushes upward. Or it may erupt off course, angling away from the baby tooth instead of dissolving its root. In either scenario, the baby tooth stays put because it never gets the signal to leave. Some adults still have one or more baby teeth for exactly these reasons, and those teeth can sometimes last for decades if they stay healthy.
Leaving Loose Teeth Alone
When a baby tooth starts to wiggle, the best approach is patience. Let it fall out on its own. Pulling a baby tooth before it’s truly ready can damage the gum tissue and, more importantly, can interfere with the permanent tooth lining up correctly underneath. Most kids will naturally work a loose tooth out with their tongue over a few days or weeks.
A loose permanent tooth is a different situation entirely. Adult teeth should never be loose, and looseness always signals a problem like trauma or disease. If a child or teen takes a hit to the mouth and an adult tooth is knocked loose or out, that’s a dental emergency. Stabilization works best within the first hour after injury.
The Gap Between Losing and Growing
Parents sometimes worry when a baby tooth falls out and nothing appears for weeks or even months. This is normal. A permanent tooth can take up to six months to fully emerge after the baby tooth is gone, and some teeth take longer. The first permanent molars, which come in around age 6 or 7, don’t replace baby teeth at all. They erupt behind the existing baby molars in new space at the back of the jaw. So a child’s first “adult” teeth may actually appear before any baby teeth have fallen out.
The transition from 20 baby teeth to 28 permanent teeth (eventually 32 with wisdom teeth) means the jaw is growing substantially during these years. Crowding, spacing, and temporary awkward-looking gaps are all part of the process. Most alignment issues become clearer by age 12 or 13, once the canines and second premolars have settled into place.