Yes, most baby teeth fall out. However, you want to keep your child’s baby teeth until they naturally fall out. This allows enough room for the permanent tooth to come in, and to eliminate the possibility of infection. If a child does not take care of their baby teeth, they can get cavities and infections (which can cause damage to the permanent tooth that are erupting underneath them). Bacteria from the baby teeth with cavities can move on to permanent teeth and cause cavities on THEM as well! The bacteria that are causing the cavities can also be transferred to other children in the house! It is also important to keep in mind that if a kid loses a tooth prematurely, it may cause the permanent tooth to erupt abnormal or not at all. That is why it is crucial to keep your baby teeth as clean as possible and cavity FREE.
You should take your child to the dentist for the first time when he/she turns 1, or when their first teeth begin to erupt. At your child’s first visit, the dentist or assistant may not be able to do a real cleaning, however, they will attempt to. The point of the visits between ages 1-5 is for the child to get use to someone else working on their mouth, and the atmosphere of a dental office.
