Your Child’s Oral Care
Your Child’s Mouth
First Permanent Teeth
Loose Teeth
A loose tooth! The wiggling and the wondering — when will it fall out? It’s one of life’s early experiences that we never forget. But do you know what actually happens when your children lose their teeth?
Once children have a full set of baby teeth, a pretty big change starts to happen in their mouths: their permanent teeth start to come through.
These permanent teeth will have been growing in the bone beneath the gums for some time, but it’s only when your child gets to about 6 that the first permanent tooth will start to travel through the gums. As it does so — and this is the amazing part — it dissolves the root of the baby tooth, making it loose.
As your children’s adult teeth start to grow through the gums, they press on the roots of baby teeth, making them loose. Eventually, the permanent tooth will push the baby one out completely — time for the Tooth Fairy to make an appearance.
What To Do When A Tooth Falls Out
One day one of your children will run in from playing outside or greet you at the bus stop with a gap-toothed grin. The permanent teeth are coming!
Whatever you do, keep the tooth safe! The Tooth Fairy will be looking to collect it that night. We’ve created some activities for you and your children to prepare for the Tooth Fairy’s visit. You can create a tooth basket to store their treasures until the Tooth Fairy comes, print or write a note to slip under the pillow, and even download the Tooth Fairy’s response to leave with your children’s rewards.
A Changing Mouth
The interesting thing about a child’s mouth between the ages of about 6 and 12 is that it is in a state of what dentists sometimes call “mixed dentition.” It has both baby teeth and permanent teeth and this makes for an interesting set of needs. It’s important to brush regularly and properly — for 2 minutes twice every day.