Help!! My Child’s tooth is loose

“Help!!! My child’s tooth is loose!”

Usually, a child’s 20 baby teeth, which typically come in by age 3, usually fall out in the order in which they came in.

The lower center teeth are usually the first to go ~age 5 or 6.

A baby tooth typically doesn’t loosen until the permanent tooth below pushes it up to take its place.

Some kids lose their first tooth as early as 4 or as late as 7.

If your child begins to lose teeth before 4, consult a dentist to make sure there are no underlying issues.

It’s also possible for a child to reach 7 or 8 without losing any baby teeth but in such cases, a dentist may need to take X-rays to assess the situation and rule out any problems.

Most kids lose their last baby teeth around age 12 or 13.

What if your child has a loose tooth?

Encourage your child to gently wiggle the tooth.

A loose tooth that refuses to come out may need to be pulled by a dentist, though this is hardly ever necessary.

If there is not enough space available in the child’s mouth then a permanent tooth can start erupting behind the baby tooth.

This might also occur if the new tooth is not able to reabsorb the roots of a baby tooth at a fast rate.

This means that it takes the easy way out and grows behind the baby tooth, taking the path of least resistance.

This is most commonly seen in kids who are six years old and in the lower front teeth.

Dr. Gitangu usually recommends that your child “wiggle” on the baby tooth for about 6 weeks to encourage it to come out on its own, however, if it does not fall out naturally the dentist can extract it.

It is a simple thing and you need not worry about it. This will make enough room in your child’s mouth for the permanent teeth to emerge.

Your child’s new pearly whites

The new teeth may look bigger, especially those first few.

That’s because they are! Adult teeth also tend to be less white than baby teeth and have pronounced ridges (mamelons) because they haven’t been used yet for biting and chewing.
Brushing is now more important than ever.

You’ll probably need to supervise the process until your child is around 8.

Replace toothbrushes every two or three months to reduce harmful bacteria. And make sure your child sees a dentist twice a year.

Please call us on 0706 575 276 if you have any concerns about your baby teeth or for a routine dental check-up