When Will My Child Start Losing Teeth?

If your five-year old has lost his front teeth before the start of the school year, while your neighbor’s seven-year old has yet to lose a single tooth, you may be wondering about the normal eruption process.

During each of your child’s routine dental visits, your pediatric dentist in Charlotte, NC will pay close attention to dental growth and development. That’s because each child will move through the growth process at different rates, and the process of tooth loss will also vary dramatically. In fact, for many children, the chronologic age and the dental age can differ by several years.

There is an average age, however, for which you can expect your child to begin losing and growing teeth. This range provides an idea as to which teeth will be lost first, though it is not uncommon for a child to experience these changes at either earlier or later than the median age.

During the ages of 6-7 yrs old, the lower front teeth (central incisors) can be expected to grow into place where the baby incisors have fallen out. During the same time frame, the first set of permanent molars (first molars) should grow into place in the rear of the mouth.

Around age 7 or 8, the upper front teeth should erupt (central incisors), followed by the lower canines (eye teeth) around ages 9 or 10. Between the ages of 10 and 12, there will be a flurry of activity as the upper first and second premolars, the upper canines, and the lower first and second premolars make their appearances.

Around age 12, the aptly named Twelve-Year Molars (second molars) will appear in the very rear of the mouth. By age 13, most children have lost all of the baby teeth, and have seen the appearance of all of the permanent teeth, with the exception of the third molars (wisdom teeth), which tend to appear between the ages of 17-21.

Whether your child seems to be on the early or the late end of the average eruption sequence, your Charlotte pediatric dentist will monitor the progress and discuss the details with you at each visit. To learn more, call to schedule your child’s appointment today.