Most children lose their first baby tooth around age 6, though it’s perfectly normal for the process to start anywhere between 5 and 7. The first teeth to go are almost always the two bottom front teeth (the lower central incisors), followed by the two upper front teeth. From there, the remaining baby teeth fall out in a fairly predictable sequence that stretches all the way to age 12 or 13.
Why Baby Teeth Fall Out
Baby teeth don’t just pop out on their own. When a permanent tooth beneath the gumline is ready to emerge, the body activates specialized cells that gradually dissolve the root of the baby tooth above it. These cells break down the root material the same way other cells remodel bone throughout the body. As the root dissolves, the baby tooth loses its anchor and begins to loosen.
At the same time, cells inside the tooth’s inner pulp start a programmed self-destruction process. The combination of root dissolution from below and internal breakdown means that by the time a baby tooth feels wiggly, most of its root structure is already gone. That’s why lost baby teeth look so small and hollow compared to how they appeared when they first came in.
The Full Tooth Loss Timeline
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry provides age ranges for when each type of baby tooth typically falls out. The pattern generally follows a “first in, first out” rule: the teeth that arrived earliest in infancy tend to leave earliest too.
- Lower central incisors (bottom front): 6 to 7 years
- Upper central incisors (top front): 7 to 8 years
- Lower lateral incisors (bottom sides): 7 to 8 years
- Upper lateral incisors (top sides): 8 to 9 years
- Lower canines (bottom pointed teeth): 9 to 11 years
- Upper canines (top pointed teeth): 11 to 12 years
- First molars: 9 to 12 years
- Second molars: 9 to 13 years
Bottom teeth tend to fall out before their upper counterparts at every stage. The entire process spans roughly six to seven years, so a child who loses their first tooth at 6 may not lose their last baby molar until age 12 or 13.
What Counts as Early or Late
Some children start losing teeth as young as 4 or 5, while others don’t lose their first tooth until 7 or even 8. A year or so in either direction from the typical age of 6 is generally not a concern. Girls tend to lose teeth slightly earlier than boys.
Truly early tooth loss, before the permanent tooth is ready to come in, is a different situation. This can happen because of tooth decay, dental trauma, or less commonly as a sign of an underlying health condition. When a baby tooth is lost well before its replacement is ready, the surrounding teeth can drift into the empty space. This crowding can cause alignment problems for the incoming permanent tooth. In these cases, a dentist may recommend a space maintainer, a small device that holds the gap open until the adult tooth is ready to emerge.
Delayed tooth loss, where no teeth have loosened by age 7 or 8, is less common but also usually harmless. Genetics play the biggest role in timing. Children who got their baby teeth late as infants often lose them later too. Nutritional deficiencies (particularly vitamin D), thyroid conditions, and certain genetic syndromes can also delay the process, but these conditions almost always have other noticeable signs beyond late tooth loss.
“Shark Teeth” and Other Surprises
Sometimes a permanent tooth pushes through the gum before the baby tooth above it has fallen out, creating a double row that parents often call “shark teeth.” This happens most frequently with the lower front teeth and looks more alarming than it is. In most cases, the baby tooth loosens and falls out on its own within a few weeks once the permanent tooth applies consistent pressure from behind. If the baby tooth stays firmly rooted after several weeks, a dentist can remove it with a simple extraction.
Another common surprise: the first permanent molars. These arrive around age 6, right around the same time as first tooth loss, but they don’t replace any baby teeth. They emerge in the empty space behind the last baby molars. Parents sometimes miss them entirely because no tooth had to fall out first.
Handling a Loose Tooth
Once a tooth starts wiggling, it typically takes a few weeks to a couple of months before it comes out. Children can gently wiggle a loose tooth with their tongue or clean fingers, but forcing a tooth out before it’s ready can damage the gum tissue or break the root. A tooth is ready to come out when it moves freely in all directions and hangs by just a thin thread of tissue.
After a tooth falls out, light bleeding is normal and usually stops within 10 to 15 minutes with gentle pressure from a piece of gauze or a damp washcloth. The gap left behind may look large, but the permanent tooth growing in will be bigger than the baby tooth it replaced, eventually filling the space.
Permanent teeth often look more yellow than baby teeth, and their edges may appear bumpy or ridged. Both are normal. Baby teeth have thinner enamel that appears whiter, and the ridges on new permanent teeth (called mamelons) wear down naturally over time with chewing.