Most children lose their first baby tooth around age 6, though it’s completely normal for the process to start as late as age 7. From that first wiggly tooth, it takes several years for all 20 baby teeth to fall out. Most kids have their full set of adult teeth by age 13.
The Typical Timeline
Children are born with 20 baby teeth (also called primary teeth) tucked beneath their gums. These teeth start erupting around 6 months of age, and the order they came in is roughly the order they fall out. The lower front teeth are usually first to go, followed closely by the upper front teeth. This is why so many first-grade school photos feature that classic gap-toothed smile.
After the front teeth, the process moves outward and backward through the mouth. The lateral incisors (the teeth flanking the front two) typically fall out between ages 7 and 8. The first molars and canines follow between ages 9 and 12. The last baby teeth to go are the second molars, sitting at the very back, which most children lose between ages 11 and 13.
This whole process spans about six to seven years, so there’s a long stretch where your child has a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth in their mouth at the same time. That’s perfectly normal.
Why Baby Teeth Fall Out
Baby teeth don’t just get pushed out by the adult teeth growing underneath. The process is more precise than that. When a permanent tooth is ready to emerge, it releases chemical signals that activate specialized cells near the roots of the baby tooth above it. These cells gradually dissolve the baby tooth’s root, using the same biological system the body uses to remodel bone throughout life. As the root dissolves, the baby tooth loses its anchor in the jawbone, becomes increasingly loose, and eventually falls out on its own.
This is why a baby tooth that falls out naturally looks like it barely has a root at all. The root was absorbed back into the body over weeks or months before the tooth finally dropped.
Girls Tend to Lose Teeth Earlier
Up to about age 5 or 6, boys and girls are on nearly identical dental timelines. After that point, girls consistently run ahead. Research on dental development shows that girls are more advanced than boys in the later stages of tooth formation and emergence. The gap isn’t dramatic, typically a matter of months, but it’s consistent enough that a 6-year-old girl losing her first tooth while a 7-year-old boy hasn’t yet is well within the range of normal.
When Early Tooth Loss Is a Concern
Losing a baby tooth early because of decay or an injury is a different situation from the natural process. Baby teeth do more than chew food. They hold space in the jaw for the permanent teeth developing underneath. When a baby tooth is lost too soon, the surrounding teeth can drift into the gap, and this creates real problems down the line.
Tooth decay is the most common reason children lose baby teeth prematurely. Dental injuries, like a fall off a bike or a collision during sports, account for most of the rest. The consequences depend on which tooth is lost and where it sits in the mouth. Losing a second molar early is particularly disruptive because the adult molars behind it can migrate forward into the empty space, shortening the dental arch and leaving less room for the remaining permanent teeth to come in straight.
When this happens, the crowding and misalignment that result can be significant. In the lower jaw, premature tooth loss often leads to crowding that requires orthodontic treatment. In the upper jaw, the situation can become severe enough that permanent teeth need to be extracted to create enough room to straighten things out. If your child loses a baby tooth well before the expected age, a dentist may recommend a space maintainer, a small device that holds the gap open until the permanent tooth is ready to come through.
Late Tooth Loss
Some children don’t lose their first baby tooth until age 7 or even 8. In most cases, this is simply a variation of normal, especially if the child’s teeth also came in late as a baby. Children who got their first tooth at 8 or 9 months rather than 6 months often follow a slightly delayed schedule all the way through.
Occasionally, a baby tooth stays put because there’s no permanent tooth developing beneath it to trigger root resorption. This condition, called congenitally missing teeth, affects a small percentage of children and is usually caught on a routine dental X-ray. In these cases, the baby tooth may last well into adulthood since nothing is dissolving its root from below.
What to Expect as Teeth Come Loose
A tooth that’s ready to come out will feel progressively wobbly over days or weeks. Gentle wiggling with the tongue or a clean finger is fine and can help the process along. Tying a string to a doorknob is the stuff of family legend, but it’s unnecessary. Most baby teeth come out easily on their own or with very light encouragement once the root has dissolved enough.
Some mild bleeding after a tooth falls out is normal and usually stops within a few minutes with gentle pressure from a piece of gauze or a damp washcloth. The permanent tooth may already be visible poking through the gum, or it may take a few weeks or even a couple of months to appear. Permanent teeth often look larger and slightly more yellow than the baby teeth they replaced, which catches some parents off guard, but that color difference is normal and reflects the thicker layer of material beneath the enamel in adult teeth.
If you notice a permanent tooth growing in behind a baby tooth that hasn’t fallen out yet (sometimes called “shark teeth”), it’s worth mentioning at your child’s next dental visit. In many cases, the baby tooth will loosen and fall out on its own once the permanent tooth is more fully erupted, but occasionally it needs a little help.