When Baby Teeth Fall Out

Loose teeth! 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 your children have a full set of baby teeth, a pretty big change starts to happen in their mouths: their big 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 big 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.

If you'd like to know more about the permanent teeth that will soon fill the gaps, check out the Big Teeth section. Because the big tooth keeps growing, it pushes the little tooth out completely to make room for itself. And this is what gives us all those gap-toothed school pictures!