All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth: Losing Baby Teeth

Sadly, our little heroes must grow, and losing baby teeth is a perfectly healthy sign of that. Luckily, the process usually isn’t painful, and as parents, we get to enjoy a few months of extra cuteness.

At Little Heroes Dentistry, we get plenty of questions and concerns from first-time parents about their tots losing baby teeth. That’s why we’ve put together some information on what to expect during the process and some red flags to look out for to ensure that everything happens as it should.

Easy Come, Easy Go

Children typically lose their teeth in the order by which they grew in. Baby teeth will begin to fall out anywhere between the age of 4 to 7. It is possible however that your child could lose their first tooth before the age of 4 or reach 8 without losing any. This does occur on occasion and is nothing to worry about, but you should still consider paying a visit to the dentist to make sure everything is ok.

#LittleHeroes can lose their teeth as early as 4 & as late as 8 with the avg. falling between 5-7 Y.O. Click To Tweet

When your child has a loose tooth have them:

• Gently wiggle the tooth to help free it.
• Remind them to never pull or yank out a loose tooth as this can leave them more vulnerable to an infection.
• If the tooth falls out, have them rinse their mouth with water to help control the bleeding.
• If bleeding continues, have your child bite down on gauze or a clean towel.

When permanent molars are coming in, your child may complain of pain in the back of their mouth. This is normal and can be remedied with children’s ibuprofen.

Issues To Look Out For

On occasion, issues with baby teeth falling out (or lack thereof) can lead to larger concerns. Our experienced pediatric dentists in the Rio Grande Valley have the ability to properly diagnose and treat any conditions that may come with the loss of baby teeth.

Some of the most common issues include:

• Overcrowding: Baby teeth falling out too late, or even too early, can be causes of overcrowding. If the concealed adult teeth become too crowded, they may come out crooked. Depending on the severity of the situation, these problems may need to be fixed with orthodontic treatment. This is why it is recommended by the American Association of Orthodontics to have your children’s teeth and jaws evaluated by the age of 7 to see if they will need any type of intervention or treatment to correct crooked teeth.

@AAOrtho recommends an #orthodontic evaluation as early as 7 years old Click To Tweet

• Extra teeth: The growth of additional teeth in the mouth can halt the normal eruption process of the regular permanent teeth. Our Rio Grande Valley pediatric dentists will use x-rays and oral inspections to check if there is an underlying issue and provide you a few options to help solve the problem.
• Missing teeth: If your child is missing permanent teeth, their baby teeth may not loosen and fall out as they are supposed to. Cosmetic, orthodontic, and general dentistry procedures can be used to help correct any issues that may occur as a result of this.
• Spacing issues due to premature tooth loss: Baby teeth help to preserve space for adult teeth. If a baby tooth falls out prematurely, whether because of natural results or trauma, spacing issues with adult teeth can arise. The orthodontic evaluation at age 7 should help to determine whether or not any problems will develop and what solutions can take care of the issue.

Parents should always keep in mind that teeth falling out too early or late doesn’t always signify a major problem. Allow your Rio Grande Valley pediatric dentist at Little Heroes Dentistry to evaluate the situation and make the proper treatment recommendations for your toddler.

It is also important to remember that as adult teeth begin to come in, brushing and flossing becomes even more important than before. Continue to supervise your child and provide them with fluoride toothpaste to help strengthen teeth and prevent cavities.

From their first trip to the dentist to losing their first tooth, Little Heroes Pediatric Dentistry in the Rio Grande Valley is here for you and your little one!

Little Heroes Pediatric Dentistry strives to provide your child with the best experiences possible. We work hard to make your child feel safe, comfortable, and empowered. Give us a call today at any of our South Texas offices in Laredo, Mission, San Juan, Pharr and Edinburg to find out why some many families love us.