Many parents worry that their children's milk teeth do not fall out in time. They are often worried about questions: when should the first tooth fall out? When is the last one? Is there any particular order to this?
The first tooth in a child is usually one of the lower incisors. It erupts at the age of about six months. The last milk teeth, which grow by the age of 30 to 36 months, are the upper molars. By the time a child reaches the age of 3 years, 20 teeth should form and grow. They all remain the same for about three more years (read " Children's Teething Pattern ").
Drop dates
With the milk teeth of a child aged 3 to 6 years, almost nothing happens. However, in the next two years (from 6 to 8 years) there is a flurry of activity. During this time period, children typically lose eight teeth one after the other. Then comes a period of calm, which lasts two years (from 8 to 10 years). It was at this time that parents are concerned about this state of affairs, because they are already accustomed to the loss of milk teeth, either on the right or on the left side, but nothing happens here. The last twelve fall out between the ages of 10 and 13.
Summarizing all of the above, it is obvious that the loss of milk teeth has the following pattern regarding age:
|
Age |
What's happening |
|
3 to 6 years old |
Nothing happens |
|
6 to 8 years old |
dropping the first eight |
|
8 to 10 years |
Nothing happens |
|
10 to 13 years old |
dropping the remaining twelve |
Drop Order
Although there are always exceptions, there is some order in the loss of milk teeth. The upper and lower front teeth (two upper and two lower) usually fall out between the ages of 6 and 8. When a child is 6 years old, as a rule, the lower central incisors fall out first, and after the upper ones. The upper and lower lateral incisors fall out between 7 and 8 years of age. Thus, by the age of eight, children usually have eight permanent incisors.
After a two-year break (up to 10 years), four more teeth begin to fall out - these are the lower canines and the upper first molars. This is followed by the loss of the lower first molars by about 11 years of age. The lower second molars fall out at approximately the same interval as the upper canines and upper second molars. This usually occurs in the 12th year of a child's life. In general, the order of loss of milk teeth is as follows:
- At 6 years : lower and upper central incisors
- At 7 years : lower and upper lateral incisors
- At 10 years old : lower canines and upper first molars
- At 11 years old : lower first molars
- At 12 : Upper and lower second molars and upper canines.
Scheme of the appearance and loss of teeth in children:
Diagram of a child's teeth
The given data are average. In some children, the loss of milk teeth occurs faster, in others, on the contrary, more slowly. There is nothing surprising in the fact that a 10-year-old child has already lost all his teeth, as well as the fact that a 14-year-old teenager still has milk teeth. In fact, age does not play a decisive role, and the given data is just a template.
If a child's teeth are lost in the wrong order, or if a permanent tooth does not grow in place of the milk tooth within three months after falling out, this indicates that there are problems. Among them: the lack of growth of permanent teeth, crowding, problems with the mechanism of tooth loss, or the incorrect position of the main tooth, which cannot erupt due to the fact that it grows crookedly and is interfered with by an adjacent tooth that has not yet fallen out.
For this reason, visits to a pediatric dentist should not be neglected, because a specialist will be able to assess the state of affairs and give recommendations, and, if necessary, help. Sometimes dentists resort to the removal of milk teeth, but in the case when it is really justified. It is recommended to visit an orthodontist when the child is 7 years old, as this is a doctor who specializes specifically in the growth and development of teeth. Even if the child does not have problems with the loss of temporary teeth and the growth of permanent ones, this will give you peace of mind and relieve anxiety.
