If it seems like all your friends and all the kids in your class are losing teeth, you probably have teeth on your mind all the time! When will I lose my first tooth? How do teeth come out? How many teeth will I lose? Which one will come out first? We know you probably have a lot of questions about losing teeth, and here at FlutterPop, we want to make sure you have all the right answers!
When Does the First Tooth Fall Out?
You probably don’t remember getting your baby teeth, but it happens at different times for everyone. Losing teeth is also different for everyone. Most kids lose their first tooth sometime after their 6th birthday, but some kids are 7 before they lose their first tooth!
Sometimes, permanent teeth take a little longer to get themselves ready, which can make your baby teeth wait to fall out. But other times, permanent teeth are in a hurry to grow into their spot in your mouth, so they push the baby teeth right out of the way! When you visit the dentist, he or she will take pictures of your teeth and jawbones called X-rays, and then you’ll be able to see where your permanent teeth are. Your dentist can tell you if your baby teeth are going to start getting loose soon, so go ahead and ask about it during your check-up. If you’re getting ready for your very first tooth fairy visit, go to our shop and ask your parents to get you a special tooth pillow for your tooth exchange.
How Do Teeth Come Out?
Teeth have one part we can see, called the crown, and a part we can’t see, called the root. The root goes down into your gums to hold your teeth where they belong. When the permanent tooth starts pushing on the roots of a baby tooth, it makes the tooth loose. This is when you feel the tooth start to wiggle around. The tooth might not wiggle very much at first, but if you keep moving it around with your tongue, it will start to move more and more until it pops out!
It’s never a good idea to try to yank a tooth out of your mouth before it’s ready. It’s best to let the tooth get ready on its own so that a gentle tug is all you need to finally make it come out. Part of the root might break off and stay down in the gums, but that’s okay. The root will dissolve all by itself without you even knowing or feeling a thing!
How Many Teeth Will I Lose?
When you were born, you had 20 baby teeth already in your gums! Once those teeth started pushing their way into your mouth, your permanent teeth began to form. There are 32 permanent teeth, if you can believe it. Your 6-year molars come in right around the same time you start losing your first baby teeth.
Molars are the flat teeth at the back of your mouth where you do most of your chewing. 6-year molars are the first of your permanent teeth that never had baby teeth before them. While you’ll lose all 20 baby teeth and notice those new permanent teeth growing in where they fell out, you’ll also feel other molars growing in all by themselves.
Which Teeth Will I Lose First?
The first teeth that most kids lose are the very front top and bottom teeth. These are called incisors, and they are sharp for biting into food. Hopefully, your permanent incisors will come in fast, or else it will be hard to eat things like apples, pizza, and corn on the cob! Don’t worry, you can always cut these foods up to eat while you wait for your new teeth.
You’ll probably notice a pattern of losing your teeth from front to back. Even though a lot of them will come out that way, you really could lose them in any order. Sometimes, you’ll lose a lot of teeth pretty close together. There’s nothing to be afraid of, though. Those permanent teeth are on their way, and you’ll have strong, sharp teeth very soon!
Are you close to losing your first tooth? Then it’s time to learn all about the tooth fairy! Visit our Tooth Fairy tales to read all about this busy fairy. Ask your parents to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for even more stories!