Why kids lose their teeth
Hi! When you're about 6 years old, your body starts making new, bigger teeth called adult teeth. Your small baby teeth need to come out to make room for the new teeth.
- Baby teeth have roots that hold them in your gums.
- Adult teeth grow under the gums and push on the roots.
- The roots slowly melt away — this is called resorption.
- When the roots are gone, the baby tooth gets loose and falls out. Then the adult tooth grows up in its place.
A loose tooth may feel wiggly or like a tiny pinch when it comes out, but most of the time it does not hurt much. If it bleeds a little, bite on a clean cloth for a few minutes.
What you can do:
- Brush your teeth gently twice a day.
- Don't pull hard on a wobbly tooth — let it fall out when it's ready.
- Eat soft foods if a tooth feels sore.
- Go to the dentist for checkups so they can make sure the new teeth come in straight and healthy.
Fun fact: Many kids enjoy the Tooth Fairy visiting when a baby tooth falls out!
Tell an adult or the dentist if the tooth hurts a lot, bleeds a lot, or a new tooth does not come in after a long time.