Most children lose their first baby tooth around age 6, and the process continues until roughly age 12 or 13. The lower front teeth almost always fall out first, followed by the upper front teeth, with the back molars coming out last. Every child is different, though, and a range of about a year in either direction is perfectly normal.
The Typical Timeline, Tooth by Tooth
Baby teeth fall out in a fairly predictable order that mirrors the order they came in. The lower central incisors (the two bottom front teeth) are first to go, usually between ages 6 and 7. The upper central incisors follow between 7 and 8. From there, the process moves outward and backward through the mouth over the next several years.
Here’s the full schedule based on guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry:
- Lower central incisors: 6 to 7 years
- Upper central incisors: 7 to 8 years
- Lower lateral incisors: 7 to 8 years
- Upper lateral incisors: 8 to 9 years
- Lower canines: 9 to 11 years
- Upper first molars: 9 to 11 years
- Lower first molars: 10 to 12 years
- Upper canines: 11 to 12 years
- Lower second molars: 11 to 13 years
- Upper second molars: 9 to 12 years
The AAPD notes that many otherwise normal children don’t follow this schedule exactly. A child who loses a first tooth at 5 or not until 7 is still well within the range of normal. Girls tend to lose teeth slightly earlier than boys.
Why Some Children Lose Teeth Early or Late
A baby tooth can fall out ahead of schedule for two main reasons: tooth decay or an accident. If a cavity weakens the tooth structure enough, the tooth may loosen and come out well before its permanent replacement is ready. A fall or impact to the mouth can do the same thing. Losing a baby tooth too early matters because baby teeth hold space for the adult teeth growing underneath. Without that placeholder, neighboring teeth can drift into the gap and crowd out the permanent tooth when it finally arrives.
On the other end, some children hang onto baby teeth longer than expected. This is often just a matter of individual timing, but certain situations warrant attention. If one side of the mouth has lost a tooth but the matching tooth on the other side shows no signs of loosening after several months, that asymmetry can signal something worth checking, like an extra tooth hidden in the gum or a permanent tooth that’s stuck. An “ankylosed” baby tooth, one that has fused to the jawbone, won’t loosen on its own and can interfere with the eruption of the tooth beneath it.
When Permanent Teeth Come In Behind Baby Teeth
One of the most common surprises for parents is seeing a permanent tooth poke through the gum behind a baby tooth that hasn’t fallen out yet. This is sometimes called “shark teeth,” and it happens most often with the lower front teeth. It looks alarming but is usually straightforward to manage.
If the baby tooth is even slightly loose, encourage your child to wiggle it over the next few days. In most cases, the baby tooth will fall out on its own and the permanent tooth will gradually shift forward into the correct position with the help of tongue pressure. If the baby tooth isn’t loose at all and the permanent tooth keeps growing in, a dentist can take X-rays to decide whether the baby tooth needs to be removed. Once the baby tooth is out of the way, the permanent tooth typically moves into place without further treatment.
Handling a Loose Tooth at Home
The best approach to a loose baby tooth is patience. Encourage your child to wiggle it gently with their tongue or a clean finger. If the tooth moves easily and is clearly hanging on by a thread, it’s fine to help it along. But if it doesn’t move much when wiggled, it’s not ready. Forcing a tooth out before its time can cause pain, tear the gum tissue, and even damage the permanent tooth developing underneath.
When you do help, wash your hands first, use a clean piece of gauze for grip, and be gentle. A little bleeding after a tooth comes out is normal. Have your child bite down on a piece of gauze or a damp washcloth for a few minutes to stop it. Rinsing with warm salt water can help keep the area clean afterward.
Watch for signs of infection around a loose tooth: redness, swelling, persistent pain, or pus. A tooth showing any of these signs should be looked at by a dentist promptly, since dental infections can spread to surrounding tissues.
What the Mixed Dentition Stage Looks Like
Between roughly ages 6 and 12, your child will have a mix of baby teeth and permanent teeth in their mouth at the same time. This stage can look a bit awkward, and that’s completely normal. Permanent teeth are larger and more yellow than baby teeth, so the new front teeth may look oversized compared to the remaining baby teeth next to them. The color difference is also normal: adult teeth have a thicker layer of the yellowish tissue beneath the enamel, so they’ll never be quite as white as baby teeth were.
This is also the stage when bite problems and spacing issues start to become visible. Most orthodontists recommend a first evaluation around age 7, not because treatment is necessarily needed that early, but because certain problems are easier to address while baby teeth and permanent teeth are both present and the jaw is still growing.