Most children lose their first baby tooth around age 6, though it’s perfectly normal for that milestone to happen anywhere from age 4 to age 8. The lower front teeth (central incisors) are almost always the first to go, and the process continues gradually until the last baby teeth fall out around age 12 or 13.
Which Teeth Fall Out First
Baby teeth tend to fall out in roughly the same order they came in. The bottom front teeth loosen first, typically between ages 6 and 7, followed by the top front teeth between ages 7 and 8. From there, the process moves outward and backward through the mouth over the next several years.
Here’s the general sequence, based on data from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry:
- Lower central incisors (bottom front teeth): 6 to 7 years
- Upper central incisors (top front teeth): 7 to 8 years
- Lower lateral incisors (next to bottom front): 7 to 8 years
- Upper lateral incisors (next to top front): 8 to 9 years
- Lower canines (pointed teeth): 9 to 11 years
- Upper canines: 11 to 12 years
- First and second molars (back teeth): 9 to 13 years
These are averages, and individual children can vary by a year or more in either direction without anything being wrong. Girls tend to lose their teeth slightly earlier than boys.
Why Baby Teeth Fall Out
A baby tooth doesn’t just randomly loosen up. The permanent tooth growing underneath it triggers a slow, deliberate process that dissolves the baby tooth’s roots from the inside out. Specialized cells break down the root material bit by bit, which is why a wobbly tooth feels increasingly loose over days or weeks rather than all at once.
As your child’s jaw grows, the mechanical pressure from chewing and from the permanent tooth pushing upward accelerates this root breakdown. By the time a baby tooth is truly ready to come out, its root has been almost entirely dissolved, which is why there’s usually very little bleeding and minimal pain. Interestingly, even baby teeth that don’t have a permanent tooth waiting beneath them will eventually undergo this same process, though it starts later and happens more slowly.
What Happens as Permanent Teeth Come In
Permanent teeth don’t always wait politely for the baby tooth to leave. It’s common to see a new tooth poking through the gum while the baby tooth is still hanging on, sometimes creating a brief “shark teeth” appearance. This is especially common with the lower front teeth and typically resolves on its own once the baby tooth falls out.
One set of permanent teeth arrives without replacing anything at all. Around age 6, four permanent molars emerge behind the last baby teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom. These “six-year molars” are easy to miss because no tooth falls out to signal their arrival. They’re worth paying attention to, though, because they’re the first adult teeth your child will have for life.
The full timeline for permanent teeth stretches well into adolescence. Canines and premolars fill in between ages 9 and 13, second molars arrive between 11 and 13, and wisdom teeth (if they come in at all) don’t appear until roughly 17 to 21.
When Timing Falls Outside the Norm
Some children lose their first tooth as early as 4. Others don’t lose one until they’re nearly 8. Both ends of this range are considered normal. A child who got their baby teeth early tends to lose them early, too.
Losing a tooth very early due to an accident or decay is a different situation. When a baby tooth disappears long before the permanent tooth is ready, the neighboring teeth can drift into the gap and crowd out the adult tooth that’s supposed to fill it later. In these cases, a dentist may place a small device called a space maintainer, which holds the gap open until the permanent tooth is ready to come through. It’s a simple, painless fix that can prevent years of orthodontic problems down the road.
On the other end, a baby tooth that refuses to budge past the expected window isn’t always a concern, but it’s worth mentioning at a dental visit. Occasionally, a permanent tooth is missing entirely, is growing in the wrong direction, or is blocked by another tooth. A simple X-ray can show what’s happening beneath the surface.
Helping Your Child Through Loose Teeth
A loose tooth can be exciting, annoying, or a little scary depending on the kid. Gentle wiggling with a clean finger or the tongue is fine and can help the process along. Pulling a tooth before it’s truly ready, though, can cause unnecessary pain and bleeding because part of the root may still be intact.
When a tooth is barely hanging on, biting into something firm like an apple or a carrot is often enough to finish the job. If there’s minor bleeding afterward, having your child bite down on a damp piece of gauze or a clean cloth for a few minutes will stop it quickly.
The gap left behind can look alarming, especially for the larger teeth, but the permanent replacement is usually already visible at the gum line or arrives within a few weeks. Front teeth occasionally take a few months to fully descend, which is why so many school photos feature gap-toothed grins.