If you ask my 6-year-old son, Ethan, about how he lost his first baby tooth, you might as well as take a seat and get ready for a mini show because, trust me, he will give you an earful. Yup, he’s quite the storyteller – he’ll describe you everything – the moment he felt his tooth was getting loose, where it happened, how he felt like, how much it hurt him, how long he cried about it, how many of his friends have been through this, what did they say on the matter and even how he was dressed! Ah, I love this little actor of mine!

Ethan was also very proud to be among the first ones in his class who was visited by the Tooth Fairy. After his first baby tooth fell, I took him to his dentist which I chose after considering dentists from the various professional dental clinics Melbourne wide to make sure everything was alright.
The dentist told me that usually children start losing their baby teeth at an age of 6, so I shouldn’t worry at all. Moreover, he told me that kids lose 3-4 teeth a year, until all of their 20 baby teeth are gone by as late as the age of 12.

Being the caring, wanna-know-it-all kind of mum, I asked him pretty much everything that interested me about the entire process of losing baby teeth. So to help you out both you and your kid pass this period with a smile on your face, here are the answers to some of the questions that might be bothering you.

Which teeth fall out first?
Most kids lose their bottom front teeth first and then the top ones. If your kid feels that some of his back or a top teeth are loose, check with a dentist from one of the best professional dental clinics in Australia to ensure everything is alright.

Is it better to yank out a tooth?
It is much better to let a loose tooth come out on its own rather than yank it. Removing it earlier than it should be can be painful and might cause a gum infection, so it’s best to leave nature take its course. Plus, many kids are fascinated by the way their teeth wiggle when touching them, which is alright, just make sure their hands are clean so they don’t cause any infections.

Is swallowing teeth dangerous?
There will be cases when your kid won’t even notice that his tooth has fallen off and will swallow it without realizing. If this happens, do not worry, swallowing teeth is not something dangerous. The tooth will pass through the body without causing any particular problems.

How much will it bleed?
If a tooth falls naturally, it won’t bleed much and it won’t scare your little one. Make sure he rinses his mouth with water and that’s about it. But if the tooth was wiggled out or knocked, it is natural for it to bleed more. In this case, have your kid bite down on a clean towel or a gauze. The bleeding should stop within an hour.

When will the permanent teeth appear?
In most cases it takes a few weeks to spot the ridges of a new tooth and it takes a couple of months until it is fully grown. Sometimes permanent teeth start growing behind the baby teeth, in this case, if they are more than halfway in, ask his dentist whether the baby tooth needs to be pulled. Also, make sure to check if your little one’s new tooth is maybe discoloured or crooked to take care of it from an early stage.