The milk teeth are designed to be replaced by stronger, larger permanent teeth, with the milk teeth generally lasting around 5-6 years while the adult teeth can last a lifetime.

When do the milk teeth start to fall out?

Generally, the milk teeth tend to start to fall out at the age of 5 or 6. They tend to fall out in the order they erupt, meaning the incisors fall out first, followed by the first molars, canines and finally the second molars. Most children will have lost all their milk teeth and developed most of their adult teeth by the age of 14. Wisdom teeth (also known as third molars) are usually the last teeth to erupt and may not appear until the age of 17 or later (some people do not get wisdom teeth until their twenties or thirties and some people may never develop wisdom teeth).

Can milk teeth be lost earlier?

Milk teeth may be lost earlier and many children are now losing milk teeth at a very early age. Some children may lose teeth as a result of an accident or injury, such as a fall or trip and some may need to have teeth extracted as a result of severe decay. Unfortunately, decay is becoming increasingly prevalent amongst younger children and some dentists are extracting teeth from children as young as two years old as a result of severe decay.

If milk teeth are lost early, it may take a while for the permanent tooth to erupt. Usually, the permanent teeth are ready to erupt and are stationed in position beneath the milk teeth but if the milk teeth are lost early this will not be the case.

Wobbly teeth

Most of us are familiar with the somewhat unpleasant sight of a child wobbling their teeth. This happens because the permanent tooth causes the root of the milk tooth to dissolve gradually, meaning the milk tooth becomes increasingly unstable. After a short period of time, the loose tooth will eventually fall out and the adult tooth will replace it. Losing teeth should not be painful but some children may be a little alarmed by the sensation of having a wobbly tooth.

What to do with lost teeth

Most parents adhere to the traditional means of disposing of lost milk teeth and tell their children that the tooth fairy will be visiting but you may also wish to keep hold of your child’s milk teeth and some people even turn their children’s teeth into trinkets, ornaments or even jewellery.

If your child loses a tooth as a result of an injury or accident you should arrange to see a dentist as quickly as possible. If they lose an adult tooth, try to find the lost tooth or the lost piece of tooth and store it in a glass of cool water or milk and arrange to see a dentist as quickly as possible. If you can see a dentist quickly, it may be possible to save the tooth.