If your child is around age 5-14, they may episodically have a wiggly tooth. This occurs as the adult tooth begins to erupt into the mouth and replaces the baby tooth. This is a natural part of the growth and development process. The more excited you are, the better the experience your child will have with this natural process.

Typically the lower front baby teeth are wiggly first, followed by upper front baby teeth around ages 6-8 years of age. The last teeth to wiggle out are typically the baby 2nd molars around 11-14 years of age. There are typically 20 baby teeth, so it may seem like the exfoliation process is long- but this just allows more time for tooth fairy fun.

We recommend wiggling teeth with clean hands. There are many strategies to wiggling out teeth and be aware that it may take some time from the first sensation of a "wiggle" to the day the child actually places the tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy to retrieve. Some children savor the process, and others may remove them relatively quickly. Either way, the dentist can monitor the process at regular checkups and provide encouragement along the way. If the baby tooth is determined to be a problem, the dentist may suggest in-office removal in rare instances.