When Do Kids Start Losing Teeth? And Other FAQs | Philips Sonicare (2025)

6 minutes

It’s increasingly understood that dental hygiene is not only key to our oral health but our health overall.¹ So when we’re caring for our children’s teeth, we’re also caring for their general health. We’re going to share some great children’s dental care tips and tricks, so we can give your little one’s the best possible start to life.

In this article, we will explore oral hygiene tips for kids including:

• Brushing techniques to maintain oral hygiene for children
  
• Children's dental care dietary recommendations
  
• The importance of regular dental check-ups when it comes to oral health for kids

Read on for your guide to oral health for kids.

Brushing techniques to maintain oral hygiene for children¹

To help care for your children’s teeth, follow these brushing technique steps and oral hygiene tips for kids:

1. Your children should brush their teeth twice a day for 2 minutes. You can encourage this and make brushing more fun with the Philips Sonicare for Kids Sonic electric toothbrush. The interactive app will help your children brush better and longer* to take the best care of their teeth.
   
2. We recommend using fluoride toothpaste which can decrease the risk of caries and help with the remineralization of teeth.¹⁷
   
3. If your children are using a manual toothbrush, you should replace their toothbrush if the bristles become matted or frayed. For children using an electric toothbrush, like the Philips Sonicare for Kids electric toothbrush, it is recommended to replace the brush head with a new Philips Sonicare For Kids toothbrush head every 3 months for optimal brushing results.
   
4. Place the toothbrush against your child’s gumline at a 45-degree angle.
   
5. Use gentle, back-and-forth strokes to brush their teeth. To prevent damage or injury to your child’s gums always ensure you and your child only use gentle pressure when brushing their teeth. If you’re using a manual toothbrush, you’ll have to do more of the work yourself and move the brush along your teeth continuously. With an electric toothbrush, you can let it do more of the work by holding and moving it against your teeth and not brushing vigorously.
   
6. To ensure teeth are brushed correctly, make sure all surfaces of every tooth is touched to ensure plaque is fully removed.
   

Children's dental care dietary recommendations^{2, 3}

Your child’s diet is not only key for their overall health, but it’s also an important part of children’s dental care. Here are some top tips when considering diet against children’s dental care:

• Ensure your child has plenty of calcium in their diet, which is linked to forming and maintaining strong, healthy bones and teeth.⁵ Good sources of calcium include dairy, green leafy veg, soy-based drinks, and food made with fortified flour.⁶
  
• Provide plenty of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables which help to keep your child’s teeth and gums clean.⁷ Good sources of fiber include beans, broccoli, and apples.⁸
  
• Limit your child’s consumption of sugar. Eating too much sugar is linked to an increased risk of dental caries. ⁹
  
• Limit your child’s consumption of highly acidic food and drinks as they are associated with tooth erosion.¹⁰
  

Regular dental check-ups and oral health for kids

There are several key reasons regular dental check-ups are an important part of your children’s dental care including:⁴

• Baby teeth are important for learning to speak and holding space for their permanent teeth.¹¹
  
• Regular check-ups allow your dentist to identify and treat any signs and risks of tooth decay and gum disease.
  
• Dentists can check your child’s teeth and jaw growth and development as well as identify any problems with their bite.
  
• You are also able to discuss your children’s dental care - from dietary recommendations to brushing techniques - with your dentist.
  

FAQs about oral hygiene for kids

• When will my child get their first tooth?Your baby will start teething between 3 months and 1 year of age. Most babies’ first tooth will erupt between 6 and 10 months of age.¹²
• When should I start brushing my baby’s teeth?Even before your baby gets their first tooth, you can practice good dental hygiene by wiping their gums with a damp cloth. As soon as their teeth erupt, start brushing your baby’s teeth for them, following these oral hygiene tips for kids and babies:

  • Use a soft-bristled brush or a soft, damp cloth that won’t damage your baby’s gums.
  • Use clean, plain water.
  • You do not need to introduce toothpaste immediately, but if you do, use no more than a grain of rice.¹³
  • Brush your baby’s teeth twice a day, in the morning and before bed.

• How long should parents brush their children’s teeth?If the child’s dexterity allows, your children will develop the fine motor skills to brush their teeth independently by 8 years of age. However, it is still important to supervise kids brushing their teeth until they are around 10 years old, as children tend to concentrate on the biting surfaces, missing the lingual, and may forget to spit out excess toothpaste.¹⁴Top tip: When brushing your children’s teeth, invest in a quality toothbrush to help like the One for Kids by Philips Sonicare. With a 2-minute SmarTimer and soft bristles, this toothbrush is a great way to ensure your child learns to brush safely and properly.
• How long should children brush their teeth?You should brush children’s teeth for at least 2 minutes.¹⁵
• When do kids start losing teeth?So, when do kids lose their first tooth? Although this can vary from child to child, here are a few facts to help answer, “What age do kids start losing teeth?”:¹⁶• On average, baby teeth begin to shed around age 6.
  • Commonly, the lower middle teeth, called incisors are the first to be lost.
  • The baby molars are typically shed when your child is between 10-12 years of age.

Whether you want answers to questions like, “When do kids lose their first tooth?” or advice on how to teach the correct brushing technique for your children we’ve got you covered. This guide will help you learn everything you need to know about oral health for kids so you can start them off right!

Disclaimer:
* vs. using a manual toothbrush alone

Sources

¹ The Connection Between Oral Health and Overall Health and Well-Being, NCBI
² Nutrition and oral health, ADA
³ The Best and Worst Foods for Your Teeth, University of Rochester Medical Centre
⁴ NSW fact sheet on early childhood dental visits, ADA
⁵ Evaluation of calcium and magnesium contents in tooth enamel without any pathological changes: in vitro preliminary study, NCBI
⁶ Building Strong Bones: Why Calcium Counts, AAP
⁷ Role of Dietary Fibre in Managing Periodontal Diseases—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Intervention Studies, NCBI
⁸ Fiber: An Important Part of Your Teen's Diet , HealthyChildren.org, AAP
⁹ Nutrition and Oral Health, ADA
¹⁰ Relationship between Food Habits and Tooth Erosion Occurrence in Malaysian University Students, NCBI
¹¹ Tiny Smiles, ADA
¹² Teething, AAP
¹³ Fluoride and children, HealthyChildren.org
¹⁴ Good Oral Health Starts Early, HealthyChildren.org
¹⁵ FAQs, AAP
¹⁶ When Children Begin to Lose their Baby Teeth, HealthyChildren.org
¹⁷ Nassar Y, Brizuela M. The Role of Fluoride on Caries Prevention. [Updated 2023 Mar 19]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-.

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