What Parents Should Know About Losing Baby Teeth

As parents, you are always excited about every milestone about your kids, such as their first steps, the first time learning how to read, write and ride a bike. You celebrate each milestone, but what about when they start losing their baby teeth? Should it bother and alert you? A child losing his/her teeth might feel like a serious concern for you as a parent, but it should not worry you. Losing baby teeth is totally normal and is, in fact, one of the major milestones for all kids.

Losing baby teeth

Generally, a child’s baby teeth will start to fall out at the age of 6, or it can be delayed as much as one year. This is a normal process for your kid’s teeth – baby teeth should loosen and fall out to make room for permanent teeth. It’s a sign that your child is becoming a big kid. The process can be painless, and teeth tend to fall out on their own, but if it hangs by a thread for weeks, your kids can wiggle them off. In fact, it is strongly advised for kids to wiggle the tooth out on their own without pulling too hard. 

Is losing baby teeth painful?

The price of losing baby teeth is not painful at all. However, he/she may experience the pain of molars coming in. The gums will look swollen, and some kids will complain about the pain. You can consider giving your kid some ibuprofen or analgesics to alleviate the pain and discomfort. Your child may refrain from eating because they find it painful to chew due to missing teeth, but it’s important that you encourage her/him to eat up. You can try serving him healthy soft foods such as vegetable soup or pureed fruits. 

What to do when all the baby teeth fall out?

Losing baby teeth is normal and should not raise any concern. Your child might be toothless for a few days or weeks, but when new teeth erupt, you’ll start to see healthy smiles and grins on your child again. During the process of baby teeth falling out, it is important that you, as a parent, know what to do. Here are some things parents should know when children start losing their teeth:

• Promote proper oral hygiene. Encourage your child to continue brushing his/her teeth at least twice a day. You can even help your child with flossing to make sure there are no food particles, and debris is stuck between their teeth. Oral care and hygiene should not stop just because your child starts losing his/her baby teeth.
• Give your child healthy food and snacks. Remember to take care of your child’s teeth by limiting sugary and other unhealthy snacks.
• Schedule regular visits to your pediatric dentist. You should make sure your child’s new set of teeth are growing in the proper direction and are perfectly healthy.

Losing baby teeth is a natural process and is something you should celebrate because it’s a sign that your child is growing up.