At age 10, most children are losing their lower canines (the pointed teeth next to the front ones) and their first baby molars. This stage is the middle stretch of tooth loss, coming a few years after the front teeth fell out and before the last baby teeth drop around age 12 or 13.
Which Baby Teeth Fall Out Around Age 10
By age 10, children have typically already lost their eight front teeth (four upper, four lower incisors). The teeth on deck at this age are further back in the mouth, and the timing depends on whether they’re on the top or bottom jaw.
Lower canines are the most common teeth to fall out between ages 9 and 10. These are the pointy teeth sitting just outside the front four on the bottom row. Upper canines come later, usually between 11 and 12.
First baby molars are also loosening or falling out around this time. The upper first molars typically shed between ages 9 and 11, while the lower first molars follow closely at 10 to 12. These are the smaller molars sitting right behind the canines.
Second baby molars, the very last baby teeth in the back of the mouth, start becoming loose for some 10-year-olds but more commonly fall out between 11 and 13. Upper second molars can begin shedding as early as 9, while lower second molars tend to hang on until 11 to 13.
What Comes In to Replace Them
The permanent teeth replacing baby molars are not adult molars. They’re premolars (also called bicuspids), a type of tooth that didn’t exist in your child’s baby set. Premolars are smaller and flatter than molars, designed for crushing food, and they erupt between ages 9 and 12. Permanent canines push through between 10 and 13, with the lower canines arriving before the upper ones.
It’s normal for a gap to sit empty for weeks or even a few months before the permanent tooth fully emerges. The adult tooth is sometimes already visible pushing through the gum before the baby tooth falls out, and other times there’s a delay after the baby tooth drops. Both situations are typical.
Why Lower Teeth Usually Fall Out First
There’s a consistent pattern throughout childhood: lower baby teeth almost always loosen before their upper counterparts. Lower canines shed around 9 to 10, while upper canines hold on until 11 to 12. Lower first molars tend to fall out slightly after the upper ones in this case, but the general bottom-before-top rule holds for most tooth types. This happens because the permanent teeth in the lower jaw tend to develop and push upward slightly earlier.
When a Baby Tooth Won’t Fall Out
If your 10-year-old still has teeth that their peers have already lost, it’s usually just a matter of timing. The age ranges for each tooth span two to three years, so a child on the later end of normal might not lose a first molar until 11 or 12.
Occasionally, a baby tooth stays put well past its expected window. The most common reason is that the permanent tooth meant to replace it simply never developed, a condition called tooth agenesis. Without a permanent tooth pushing from below, the baby tooth has no signal to loosen. A dental X-ray can confirm whether a permanent successor is present under the gum.
Another cause is ankylosis, where the root of the baby tooth fuses directly to the surrounding bone. An ankylosed tooth feels solid and won’t wiggle at all, and it may start to look like it’s sinking below the gum line as the jawbone grows around it. Impacted permanent teeth (ones that are stuck or growing at an angle), infections, and past trauma to the mouth can also delay the process.
What’s Normal and What’s Not at Age 10
A 10-year-old with a mix of baby teeth and adult teeth is completely normal. Most kids at this age have their permanent front teeth fully in, are actively losing canines and first molars, and still have their second baby molars in the back. Some children are ahead of this schedule, some behind. Girls tend to lose teeth slightly earlier than boys across every tooth type.
A few signs that something may need attention: a baby tooth that has been loose for several months without falling out, a permanent tooth erupting directly behind or in front of a baby tooth that shows no signs of loosening, visible crowding that’s pushing teeth out of alignment, or pain and swelling around a tooth that’s trying to come in. These situations don’t always require intervention, but a dentist can take X-rays to see what’s happening beneath the gum and decide if the baby tooth needs help coming out.