When Do Kids Stop Losing Baby Teeth?

Curious about when do kids stop losing baby teeth? Here’s everything you need to know about when, why, how, and what to expect.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had many dreams about my teeth falling out. They’re.The.Worst! I hate when I have them, because I always wake up panicked!

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I think those dreams are supposed to mean something, but I can’t remember what it is. Please tell me I’m not the only one who feels terrified as I try to catch all of my teeth as they fall out!

But don’t you worry, kids losing their baby teeth is completely normal. I’ll tell you all about it.

A little girl with her hands on her face has a huge smile!

Teeth Coming In

A child’s baby teeth start coming in from about 6 months of age to 10 months. They will keep getting teeth until they’re about 3 years old.

Girls tend to get their teeth faster than boys, and the teeth usually come in in pairs.

The bottom two front teeth come in first, and they’re followed by their top middle teeth.

Two Sets of Teeth

Have you ever wondered why we have two sets of teeth? The baby teeth act like placeholders to make room in the jaw for your permanent teeth. But that’s not all they do.

Here are some other reasons we have two sets of teeth:

Help with speech
Create a smile
Help oral muscle development
Help with good nutrition
Make the face look normal
Prevent adult tooth crowding

Types of Teeth

Did you know we have 11 different kinds of teeth in our upper and lower jaw? We get four different kinds of main teeth as baby teeth and five kinds as permanent teeth.

The different kinds of babe teeth, primary teeth, or deciduous teeth are:

Lateral incisors
Central incisors
Upper central incisors
Lower central incisors
Canine teeth
Premolars
Primary molars
Primary second molars

The different kinds of permanent teeth are:

Lateral incisors
Central incisors
Upper central incisors
Lower central incisors
Canine teeth
Premolars
Molars
Second molars
Third molars
Wisdom teeth

I think it’s so interesting that we have many different kids of teeth!

A baby with a finger at his mouth is looking at the camera.

Losing Their Teeth

Kids don’t start losing their primary teeth until an adult tooth, also called permanent tooth, is pushing below it. When this happens, the baby tooth roots start to die.

Then, the tooth is just held in by the chid’s gums, and that’s when it becomes loose. It will eventually fall out, and new permanent teeth will come in.

Kids start losing their teeth from 6 years old until age 10. Don’t fear if your child starts loosing them as early as 4 years old or hasn’t lost one until they’re 8. That’s still considered normal!

On average, kids should lose 8 teeth by the time they’re 8 years old. It takes about six years from the time their first tooth falls out until they lose their last baby tooth.

Most kids lose their teeth in the order they came in. Crazy right? They usually follow a first in, first out schedule.

The Order Teeth Fall Out

The front bottom teeth, known as bottom incisors, are the first to go. Second, kids lose their front top teeth, known as their top incisors. They lose all of their incisors between ages 6-8 years old.

I love seeing kids missing their middle front teeth. They look so adorable!

Next, the sharp teeth beside them, called canines, fall out between 9-12 years old. Their first molars leave during that time, too!

Finally, the second molars are often the last to go. They typically fall out between 10-12 years old.

New Permanent Teeth

There are two kinds of teeth that come in as permanent teeth that weren’t baby teeth. They are third molars and wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to come in. Most of the time, there’s not room for them in a person’s mouth for wisdom teeth. They need to be extracted.

Some people are able to keep their wisdom teeth in. If you have a big enough jaw, you’ll be able to keep them.

In the end, they’ll end up with 32 permanent teeth.

Issues With Loosing A Baby Tooth

Sometimes there can be issues with loosing baby teeth. Some of them are:

There’s no permanent tooth to replace it
They lose a baby tooth too early and the permeant tooth isn’t ready to come in yet. In this case, take your child to the dentist so they can put in a spacer in. This will make sure there’s empty space for the permanent tooth to come in.
Some kids might not lose a tooth until they’re 8 years old or older. Take them to the child’s pediatric dentist just to make sure everything looks good.
Some kids have extra teeth in their mouth that try to come in. Again, take them to the dentist to take care of this.

Tooth Extraction

Sometimes a tooth needs to be pulled by a dentist. Tooth extractions are rare, but they do need to happen occasionally. Here are the reasons a tooth needs to be pulled:

Big cavities
Excessive tooth decay
Failed root canal
To be ready for orthodontics
Root damage
Loose teeth
Trauma or severe damage
Wisdom teeth removal (the most common teeth extracted)

Losing Teeth Tips and Tricks

Here are a bunch of tips and tricks to help kids look forward to losing teeth:

Tell your child it’s normal for your teeth to fall out. It’s a big milestone and a natural process.
Let them know it won’t hurt.
Remind them that the Tooth Fairy will be able to come when they loose a tooth.
You can encourage them to wiggle a loose tooth if it’s bothering them.
Never pull out or yank on a tooth that’s barely loose. It will hurt a lot!
Remember that every child is different. They don’t have to follow a specific timeline of when their teeth should fall out.
Have your kids eat a well-rounded diet.
Have them avoid sugary drinks.
Take your kids to the dentist twice a year so they can get their teeth cleaned and polished.
Have your kids get sealants to help prevent cavities.
Have them wear a mouth guard while playing sports to protect their teeth.

Tooth Fairy

For most kids, the Tooth Fairy is the best part of loosing teeth. She’s so fun! You just leave your tooth that fell out under your pillow and the Tooth Fairy will replace it with money.

It’s so magical! We got a dollar for every tooth we lost, but the amount that’s left is up to you.

Good Oral Hygiene

I have a whole post about brushing kids teeth here. The American Dental Association recommends having your kids brush their teeth for two full minutes twice a day. This will help prevent tooth decay.

Make sure they’re using a fluoride toothpaste! This will help give them good dental health. Take them to the dentist every six months for regular preventive appointments.

A girl is getting her teeth examined by a female dental hygienist.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is most kids start losing baby teeth at 6 years old and stop by 12 years old. Your child might be a little earlier or later than this and that’s okay.

However, if something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not. Follow your intuition about your child’s mouth.

It’s always a good idea to check with your child’s dentist. We want their pearly whites looking good!

FAQ’s

Should my 10 year old be losing teeth?

Yes! Kids lose their teeth from about 6-12 years old.

Is it normal to lose teeth at 14?

Kids typically lose their teeth from 6-12 years old. If they didn’t start loosing them until they were 8, 14 years old would be totally fine. Take them to the dentist to make sure everything looks good.

Should a 12 year old still be losing teeth?

Yes, kids lose their teeth until they’re 12 years of age on average.

Is it normal to lose teeth at 13?

Kids typically lose their teeth from 6-12 years old. If they didn’t start loosing them until they were 7, 13 years old would be totally fine. Take them to the dentist to make sure everything looks good.