When parents visit Affiliated Orthodontics, it is not uncommon for parents to worry if their child’s baby teeth do not fall out on time. Infants rollover, sit, walk, and talk at different stages of their development. The same is true when your child is losing baby teeth. There are some developmental issues which require professional attention, but in general, what should parents expect when their kids start losing baby teeth?

• The first baby teeth are usually lost at about six years of age. Some kids may lose theirs as early as five or as late as seven, which is still considered normal.
• The average child will have lost eight baby teeth by age eight; four front teeth on top and four front teeth on the bottom.
• Between 8-10 you will normally not see much loss or eruption of teeth. During this two-year “break” interceptive orthodontic treatment may be indicated. This is why the American Association of Orthodontics recommends that all children be evaluated by age 7. This allows Dr. Davis and Dr. Womack to determine if your child’s teeth and jaws are developing correctly and intervene with recommendations or treatment, if indicated.
• Around ten years of age the remaining teeth begin to fall out. The average adolescent loses all their baby teeth before 13. Girls often lose their teeth faster than the boys and sometimes as early as 11. The 12-year or 2^nd molars start to make their appearance during this time.
• Third molars will begin to develop around age 16 and more often than not, need to be removed due to lack of space in the dental arch to accommodate the teeth. X-rays at this age are recommended to determine if there is enough room for third molars before the roots fully develop to make extraction easier if required.

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