In addition to having a fussy baby during the teething process, it can be difficult to see your child experiencing discomfort. How long can you expect your toddler’s teething pain to last, and what can you do about it in the meantime?

Teeth Erupt Over a Period of Three Years

Your baby’s gums will likely feel sensitive before their first tooth erupts, and the process could take a few days. Once the tooth appears through the gumline, you can expect them to start feeling better.

A total of about 20 primary teeth will eventually appear throughout a period of roughly three years [1]. By the age of three, most children have all their baby teeth in. So while you can expect the process to last a few days or so for each tooth, you can expect teeth to appear here and there until your child reaches their third birthday.

Symptoms Your Toddler May Be Teething

How can you know if your baby’s first teeth are about to appear? Common symptoms for children about to get their primary teeth include [2]:

 Sensitive or sore gums
 Frequent or excessive drooling
 Being picky about eating
 Trouble sleeping
 General irritability

While these symptoms are considered normal and will subside once your toddler’s teeth are in, you should be on the lookout for uncommon symptoms of teething, including a fever, diarrhea, and lack of appetite. Don’t hesitate to contact your child-friendly dentist or pediatrician with questions!

How Can You Help?

While your baby’s teething discomfort won’t last for long, it helps to know a few ways you can help your child feel better during this time. Consider firm teething toys, such as wood or rubber, but avoid liquid-filled teething objects, as your baby can potentially puncture them and ingest the liquid [3].

Try gently rubbing your baby’s gums with a clean finger. The pressure can help alleviate discomfort for some children! You can also try chilled items such as fruit or a wet washcloth, but always give to your child under supervision, and never give completely frozen items, as they can be too harsh for your baby’s mouth.

Don’t Forget Your Baby’s Dental Checkup!

It’s a good idea to schedule a checkup for your baby around the time that he or she gets their first tooth in. Your child-friendly dentist can ensure that your baby’s teeth are on track and that they are healthy and free of decay. Your dentist can also provide you with more tips on dealing with your child’s teething pain to help you both get through this trying time!

Sources:
1. https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/ForthePatient_1114.pdf?la=en
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12415773
3. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/publication/helping-your-baby-teething-pain

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But where did the idea of the Tooth Fairy actually come from in the first place? Here we uncover the story behind one of our most popular and iconic fantasy figures from our childhood!

A Tradition with Deep Roots

The Tooth Fairy comes from a myth that, like cultures, has evolved over time. In Early European tradition, a child’s lost tooth was burned or buried as people believed it would prevent the child from experiencing suffering in the next life.

In some cultures, a child’s first lost tooth was taken by their father to battle because they thought it brought them good luck. Every human culture ever recorded has some tradition or ritual for disposing of their children’s lost baby teeth [1]!

Developing into our Modern Version

In 18 th century French culture, the Tooth Fairy myth was actually about a mouse that would go into children’s rooms and remove the baby teeth at night, based on a fairy tale called La Bonne Petite Souris [2].

A unique fact about rodents’ teeth—they continue to grow their whole lives. This is because these animals are constantly chewing and biting in the wild, so their teeth are continually growing to provide them with strong teeth throughout their lives.

The idea behind this mouse Tooth Fairy was that the strong teeth the rodent had would bring the children strong healthy teeth when they came to collect human baby teeth at night.

The Tooth Fairy Today

While the idea of the Tooth Fairy has ancient origins, our modern Tooth Fairy concept has a rather recent origin.

The American Tooth Fairy as we know her today was inspired by the mouse legend from Europe, but it’s been changed a bit for our culture. In 1927, a short American play was published by Esther Watkins Arnold called The Tooth Fairy that modernized the Tooth Fairy as what most kids and adults know today [3].

The Tooth Fairy is, of course, more than a myth or a story we tell our children. The Tooth Fairy brings comfort to kids as they grow up. It can be scary for kids to experience changes as their body grows, and losing teeth can certainly be distressing. The Tooth Fairy, as well as dentists and parents, can play an integral role in comforting children and encouraging them to take care of their teeth!

Sources:
1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2016/09/14/where-did-the-tooth-fairy-come-from/#4a36762059d4
2. https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/La_Bonne_Petite_Souris
3. https://www.worldcat.org/title/tooth-fairy-three-act-playlet-for-children/oclc/20177704

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Caring for primary teeth until they naturally fall out can help your child have the best chance for a healthy smile. Children begin to lose their teeth beginning around age six and will continue until all their primary teeth have been replaced with adult teeth.

What are some best practices when it comes to your child losing his or her primary teeth? Here’s what you should know as a parent when your child is getting their adult teeth in.

Your Child’s Tooth Most Likely Is Fine

If your child is starting to lose their baby teeth, it’s important to let the natural process continue rather than trying to help it along. Your child’s tooth most likely is fine, so don’t pull on your child’s loose teeth or attempt to extract them early.

Your child’s loose tooth will come out when it’s ready. If you do decide to pull the tooth, you could cause your child undue pain, excessive bleeding, or even risk an infection. Simply letting your child’s tooth come out naturally is all you need to do!

When to Intervene with Your Child’s Loose Tooth

If there ever is a baby tooth that needs assistance with coming out, your dentist will let you know. If the baby tooth in question needs to be pulled, your dentist will speak with you about what the problem is as well as how to proceed.

It’s never a good idea to attempt to pull your child’s tooth without an evaluation from a dentist, so always get regular checkups to ensure your child’s adult teeth are coming in properly. Unless your dentist tells you otherwise, it’s best to leave your child’s loose teeth alone.

How to Help Your Child

You can encourage your child’s permanent teeth to come in properly without a hands-on approach!

First, seeing your child’s dentist can help encourage proper tooth development and a beautiful smile. Secondly, having your child care for their teeth—including brushing, flossing, and eating the right foods—can further facilitate healthy teeth and gums.

Finally, when your child’s baby teeth do begin to fall out, you can encourage your child to gently wiggle the tooth back and forth, but be clear that they shouldn’t pull on a tooth that simply isn’t ready to come out. Don’t be afraid that your child will choke on or swallow a loose tooth; this rarely happens!

When it’s time for your little one to lose their baby teeth, you can be encouraging and supportive during this time without hurting your child’s smile. It’s always a good idea to let baby teeth fall out naturally rather than attempting to pull them out yourself, although your dentist can let you know if you need to intervene in any way. Schedule an appointment with your child’s dentist today to ensure your little one’s teeth are on track to become a beautiful adult smile!

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Children generally begin to lose their teeth by age 6 and will continue to lose them for the next several years as they get their adult teeth in. If your child begins losing teeth earlier than age 4 ½, you should see a dentist to evaluate your child for any oral health problems.

Timing of Lost Primary Teeth

Generally, anytime within these years is normal, but a dentist visit can help ensure your child’s adult teeth are on their way!

Age 6-7: Lose First Tooth (Central Incisor)

The first teeth to be lost are usually the central incisors—these are the teeth in the center of the top and bottom rows of teeth, also known as the front teeth or biting teeth. Many children lose their bottom teeth first, but top or bottom teeth may be lost around the same time, which is around age 6 for many children!

Age 7-8: Lose Lateral Incisor

Also known as laterals, these teeth are the teeth neighboring the front teeth. They are usually the next to go after the central incisors and will happen with a year or around the same time as your child’s first baby teeth.

Age 9-11: Lose First Molar

The molars are those bigger teeth towards the back of the mouth that are designed for grinding up food. Your child will tend to lose these teeth a little later in their childhood years, around age 9 or possibly age 11. Your child’s adult molars should be on their way in!

Age 10-12: Lose Canines

Your child will lose their top and bottom canines around the same time, around ages 10-12. Many kids experience a gap in losing teeth between ages 8-10 after losing their incisors but before shedding their molars.

Ages 10-12: Lose Final Primary Teeth (Second Molars)

The second molars are usually the last teeth in the mouth to be shed. These are also the teeth that come in the latest during your child’s toddler years, so it makes sense that they are around for longer! Don’t forget your child’s third molars— also called wisdom teeth— will arrive around the ages of 17-21!

When Is It Too Late to Lose Primary Teeth?

Just as early tooth loss could potentially be a problem, so can late tooth loss. Visiting your dentist can help identify any problems that are present. If your child has not begun losing their teeth by age 7 or 8, you should be concerned.

Losing baby teeth can be a fun experience for children and is a great opportunity for you to talk with them about how important their teeth are to their health. The arrival of their adult teeth is a great milestone for many children, so teach them how to properly care for their teeth and visit your dentist for a checkup!

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Children typically begin losing their primary teeth around age 6, but the time can be different for every child. Generally, all the teeth are lost by age 13 and your child will have all their permanent teeth in. But what if your child starts losing teeth sooner than age 6? How soon is too soon?

The Earliest Age to Lose Teeth Is…

Although every child is unique, dentists generally advise that anytime before age 4 ½ is too soon for your child to be losing teeth. If your child got their teeth in early, they may lose their teeth earlier than other children. If your child loses his or her first tooth before they reach the age of 4 ½, it’s best to get a checkup with your dentist. However, you should also see your dentist if your child loses a tooth before age 6, even if the age of 4 ½ is still considered to be normal. This will help ensure your child’s smile is ready for their permanent teeth!

Get X-Rays from Your Dentist

Taking your child to the dentist for x-rays ensures that their permanent teeth are on their way in and that your child’s early tooth loss won’t impact their permanent smile. If your child lost his or her first tooth early but the permanent tooth is nowhere in sight, this could be a problem. Your dentist can help you determine if your child’s tooth was ready to come out and if the permanent tooth is on its way in! If your child lost his or her first tooth due to decay or trauma, treatment may be needed to ensure a healthy smile.

Always Get Regular Checkups

Getting regular checkups is always important for your child’s smile. Your dentist can ensure your child’s teeth are healthy and coming in properly with every visit. He or she will also check for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth and bite structure. If your child loses his or her teeth early, the permanent teeth should be in sight to ensure the tooth loss was natural and not caused by a problem such as tooth decay or gum disease.

Remember that while every child is different, it’s best to get your child’s teeth checked out by your dentist when they lose their first tooth, regardless of what age that happens. If your child loses a tooth before age 6, your dentist will need to ensure that the permanent teeth are on their way in so your child’s mouth doesn’t have problems as he or she grows up.

Visiting the dentist is often an exciting time for children, and learning about healthy teeth and gums is always relevant. When your child begins to lose their primary teeth, schedule a visit with your dentist to ensure a healthy permanent smile is on its way!

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Is it Loose?

When your child’s tooth begins to get loose, there are a couple of things happening in the mouth here—the first is that the adult teeth have actually started to grow, so the roots of the baby teeth get reabsorbed into the mouth. The second thing that’s happening is that since the tooth now no longer really has “roots”, it is usually only still there by a small amount of tissue. This is usually when the tooth becomes very loose and will fall out. If your child’s tooth feels extremely loose, it’s ok to pull it. Make sure that your hands are dry and try to dry the area around your child’s tooth as best as you can. Many people prefer to use a tissue or a soft cloth to grab hold of the tooth which will help keeping the area dry. A twisting motion is best when pulling that tooth out, and don’t worry about hurting your child—since there’s no roots left, there’s usually little to no pain when pulling out very loose baby teeth.

Give it Time

When it comes to deciding whether or not to pull your child’s baby tooth out, it’s always best to give it time. Your child’s adult teeth will begin to grow, loosen the baby teeth, and fall out on their own normally. If you feel your child’s baby tooth and it feels pretty rooted in there, this is not the time to begin pulling and you may hurt your child as the roots may still be connected, meaning the tooth is just not ready to come out yet. As the tooth becomes looser, you can encourage your child to work the tooth back and forth or push it with their tongue. Many children love doing this and find it exciting. With your child’s help and the body’s natural growth, it’s likely that the tooth will come out in no time. It’s only ok to pull when the tooth feels very loose— remember, teeth that feel solid in the mouth should not be yanked or twisted. Give your child’s baby teeth the time they need to come out on their own.

Your child is growing and changing constantly throughout the years they lose their baby teeth. While pulling baby teeth may be necessary at points (such as if the tooth is extremely loose and there is a risk for your child accidentally swallowing it while eating), you should encourage your child to help loosen the tooth and let it come out on its own. Have fun!

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Chances are, once a tooth is loose your child may have some fun wiggling it around, which is not only fine, but perfectly encouraged! If the tooth is extra loose and hanging on by a thread, you can take a soft tissue and try to rotate the tooth around. If the root is gone, the tooth should wiggle away from the gums freely. Do not force a tooth that is not ready to come out! This could break the root and leave the area prone to infection. Wiggling is fine, but make sure the tooth is nice and ready to come out to avoid pain and discomfort. Some teeth can take a couple months from the time the tooth becomes loose until it is ready to come out.

As you may expect, all new “adult” teeth will be clearly bigger than the previous teeth. This mix of smaller and larger teeth may look a bit funny, but it is completely normal. Remember that your child’s head will keep growing, but his teeth will not! These adult teeth have pronounced ridges because they have yet to be used. Once they have enjoyed a good amount of meals, those ridges will wear down. In addition, the new teeth will not be as white as the previous baby teeth. As more teeth come in, this difference in color will become less noticeable.

Regardless of when and how a child loses his or her first tooth, the excitement and curiosity remains the same. With luck, they may even head to bed early for their first tooth fairy interaction.

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