Whether your child believes in the tooth fairy or not, every child goes through a period of losing primary teeth, often referred to as baby teeth. There are several different ways that you can help your child through this process, from explaining what's occurring help reduce his fear, to encouraging the actual loss of baby teeth with safe wiggling techniques.
Primary Teeth
Primary teeth start to erupt through the gums at around the age 6 months to 1 year. These temporary teeth play an integral role in your child's oral development as they aid in his speaking, as well as chewing. The primary teeth also hold the place and shape of the mouth until permanent teeth later replace them. Typically, by age 3, a child should have all 20 of his primary teeth. Primary teeth typically fall out in the same order they come in. This means the lower central incisors, or the bottom two front teeth often fall out first. These teeth are followed by upper central incisors, or the top two front teeth, then the lateral incisors, first molars, canines and finally the second molars. Most children have lost all of their primary teeth by the age of 12 or 13, according to MayoClinic.com.
Loose Tooth
Your child's primary teeth start to loosen around age 5, although some children start losing teeth early at the age of 4, while others don't start to lose their teeth until later -- around age 8. Primary teeth become loose in response to the adult tooth forming below the baby tooth. As the permanent tooth gets close to cutting through the gums, the roots of the primary tooth loosen, allowing the tooth to be pushed or pulled out. A loose tooth can take up to several months before it actually falls out, even if the tooth feels loose much earlier.
Encouraging Extraction
When your child has a loose tooth, it's okay to encourage them to wiggle it to help the tooth fall out. This is preferred over you helping them pull it out, as they can control the speed and pain tolerance. Encourage your child to use his tongue instead of his fingers to wiggle the tooth. Wiggling with fingers introduces bacteria and other microorganisms into the mouth. If the child wants to use his finger, have him wash his hands first with soap and running water before sticking his fingers in his mouth.
Swallowing
Once the tooth has come out, make sure you try to locate the tooth. It is not uncommon for a child to swallow the tooth, which is generally not harmful as it will pass through the digestive system, suggests pediatric dentist Paul Casamassimo, writing on BabyCenter.com. However, your child may also have aspirated the tooth, or breathed the tooth into the respiratory tract, which may require immediate medical attention.
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