Kids' Zone

On average, a child begins to lose their first teeth at approximately 5 years of age. Usually the font teeth are lost first. It is not uncommon for the adult tooth to start to erupt before the baby tooth is lost. They will continue to lose teeth until the age of 12-13.

Yes. The primary teeth are very important for maintaining the space necessary for the adult teeth. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the adult tooth that will come in later, may not have enough room to come in. Also, an abscess associated with a decayed baby tooth could damage the developing adult tooth under it, resulting in weakened enamel, staining or spots.

A wet washcloth or finger brush should be used to clean your babies gums even before the first tooth comes in. Once the first teeth appear, a small childrens toothbrush should be used.

This is normal. Primary teeth are usually very light in color. The adult teeth that are erupting look usually darker or yellow when compared side-by-side to the baby teeth. Do not worry- when all of the adult teeth erupt, their color will look normal when not compared to the other teeth.

Each case is different. Sometimes early orthodontic treatment (called Phase I Treatment), is utilized when the child is 7-8 years old in order to make the final (Phase II) treatment easier, and potentially shorter in duration. Please call our office for your child’s free braces consultation with Dr. Pham today.