Early Baby Tooth Loss: What Parents Need To Know

Every small development in your child’s growing days is a memory. But you must pay close attention if you find any sign of early or late steps. Early baby tooth loss is one of the things you must be aware of. Falling of baby teeth is essential to give space to permanent teeth. Baby teeth help with a child’s oral development and provide space for adult teeth as placeholders.

This article will help you understand what to keep an eye out for. You will understand what to do if a tooth falls off early and how to prevent it. You will also find detailed information about risks, causes, and prevention methods to quickly resolve any issues.

When a Baby Tooth Usually Falls Out

We all know that there are 32 teeth in an adult’s mouth. However, permanent teeth have not been present since birth. First, the child is born without any teeth. Then, the baby teeth come and make space for the permanent teeth. The baby teeth act as placeholders and offer support and structure to the permanent teeth. Usually, the child loses their first baby teeth around six or seven years. 

According to the ADA or American Dental Association, the first teeth that a child loses, as per statistics, are central incisors. It takes over a decade for all baby teeth to fall out. By 21 years of age, all 32 teeth should be replaced.

Cause of Early Baby Tooth Loss

Baby teeth can fall out for a number of reasons. You must ensure that its reason does not include any severe health condition. You must make appointments with your dentist to follow essential precautionary reasons. Here are some common reasons a baby’s teeth might fall out early.

1. Tooth Decay

The top reason for an early baby tooth loss is due to tooth decay. Most kids love chocolates and are not particular about brushing their teeth. Sugars from milk, candies, chocolates, and other food items they consume stay in their mouth longer than expected and result in tooth decay. Most children do not understand why brushing their teeth or rinsing their mouth after meals is necessary. This is why tooth decay might cause tooth loss for your children.

2. Accidents or Injuries

A baby tooth can be easily knocked out because of a fall or any other trauma. Kids learn to walk, run, and even ride a bike during their first 5-6 years of life. Accidents and falls are common for them. If their teeth get knocked off due to a fall or are injured due to any similar accidents, you don’t need to worry. You must visit any emergency room and get treated.

3. Gum Disease

Children are not very responsible individuals. They do not care about oral hygiene and often have huge plaque buildup in their mouth. Parents must help their kids brush their teeth properly, or they might develop severe cavities. Poor oral hygiene causes multiple gum diseases and can cause loosened teeth or even fall out. Oral infections are also a common side effect of plaque buildup.

4. Health Conditions

Parents can also get their children checked for childhood cancer, bone diseases, and any other condition that has early baby tooth loss as its symptom. If your dentist finds no other possible reason, they must ensure no underlying health condition is responsible. It is better to find out about such conditions early so that the treatment can start as soon as possible.

5. Genetics

If you or any of your family members have a history of oral diseases, your kids might lose baby teeth due to it as well. Genetical conditions play an essential role in tongue, jaw, and tooth development.

Prevention To Avoid Early Tooth Loss

Preventive measures are a great way to improve your child’s chances of early tooth loss. Here are a few tips to ensure your child leads a healthy and disease-free lifestyle.

• Oral Hygiene: You must teach your kids how to brush correctly. Step-by-step instruction and brushing techniques must be practiced together to ensure kids follow it daily.
• Diet: You must teach kids what to eat or drink and what to avoid. If your child loves to eat sugary products, you must teach them to rinsing or gargling afterward to minimize bacteria growth.
• Dental Visitations: Regular dental visitation can help you find all dental issues your child has. Dentists can detect and resolve these issues quickly. This will minimize the chances of health conditions leading to tooth loss. 

Risks Of Early Baby Tooth Loss

There are a lot of risks associated with early tooth loss that you must know as a parent. Here are some risks you can learn about.