Why Do Baby Teeth Get Wiggly?

Losing baby teeth is an important milestone of childhood. A child's baby teeth begin to fall out to make room for the incoming permanent adult teeth. When a baby tooth becomes loose and wiggly, this is the first sign that the adult teeth are about to take the place of the baby teeth.

Tooth Development

• The development of teeth begin as a fetus, and proper nutrition by the mother is an important factor in the creation of baby teeth. According to Children's Hospital of Boston, a pregnant mother should consume a sufficient amount of vitamins during pregnancy to ensure healthy teeth in a child. Baby teeth typically begin to appear when a baby is between 4 to 12 months old, and young children have a total of 20 baby teeth. These teeth will stay in until permanent teeth are ready to take the place of the baby teeth.

Time Frame

• Most children typically lose their first baby tooth between the ages of 5 and 7. According to "Parents" magazine, it is also possible that a child as young as 4 may lose a baby tooth, while another child may not lose a tooth until the age of 8. Children who began to teeth at a young age usually lose their baby teeth earlier than late teethers. From the time the the tooth first becomes lose, it usually takes a few months for the tooth to fall out. Girls usually lose their baby teeth earlier than boys, and most children have completed the entire process---with all the baby teeth being replaced by mature teeth---by the time they are 12 or 13. Once all of the baby teeth are gone, a child will have 28 permanent teeth. After wisdom teeth come in between the age of 17 and 25, there may be a total of 32 adult teeth.

Process

• According to The Mayo Clinic, baby teeth usually begin to fall out in the same order that they appeared. The two bottom front teeth typically fall out first, followed by the two front teeth. Once the mature teeth begin to come through the gum, a signal is sent to the body that dissolves the root of the baby teeth. As the root begins to disappear, the baby tooth become loose because it is no longer held in place by the root. The mature tooth pushes up against the gum, further loosening the baby tooth. Once the root is fully dissolved, the tooth will become very lose. Eventually, the baby tooth will either fall out on its own or be pulled out by hard or sticky food or frequent wiggling by the child. According to Kid's Health, sometimes a child will develop two rows of teeth when the adult teeth come in behind the baby teeth. When this occurs, the mature teeth will push against the baby teeth, usually causing them to fall out within a few weeks.

Appearance

• Permanent teeth look different than baby teeth. According to "Parents," adult teeth have many ridges on top and are a shade darker than baby teeth. Once the permanent teeth are used to chew, the ridges will become worn down, and as more adult teeth of the same shade begin to appear, the color difference is no longer noticeable. It is normal for permanent teeth to appear too large for the child's face, because the adult teeth are bigger than baby teeth. This will change as the child grows.

Effects

• Losing baby teeth is usually not a particularly painful process. According to Baby Center, if a new tooth cuts through the gum behind the tooth before the baby tooth falls out, this may cause some discomfort. If a child of 5 or 6 complains of pain, it is most likely the emergence of the 6-year-old molars.