Why do our teeth fall out?
A plain-English answer for grown-ups of kids aged 6–9, taken from the Yufena lesson that explores this question.
This is a members' lesson. Four other lessons are free to try.
The answer, for parents
Short answer: An adult tooth grows under the gum and pushes up, so the baby tooth gets wobbly and falls out.
We grow two sets of teeth in our lives. Children have 20 baby teeth. Grown-ups can have 32 adult teeth. Adult teeth come in slowly, a few at a time. A young child has a small jaw. A small jaw only has room for small teeth. As you grow, your jaw grows bigger too. It needs bigger teeth, and more of them.
Under the gum, an adult tooth is growing. It pushes up on the baby tooth. Tiny helper cells slowly dissolve the baby tooth's root. Then the tooth gets wobbly and comes out. Adult teeth must last a long, long time. Each tooth has a shiny coat called enamel. Enamel is the hardest part of your body. Brush twice a day to keep it strong.
In the lesson, your child puts this cause-and-effect chain in order: An adult tooth grows under the gum → It pushes up → The baby tooth's root dissolves → The baby tooth gets wobbly → It falls out and the adult tooth comes in.
What if a baby tooth comes out too early? The adult tooth might grow in crooked. Baby teeth keep a space for it. Tell a grown-up and ask a dentist.
Do other animals lose teeth? Yes. A shark can grow thousands of new teeth in its life. Its old ones fall out as new ones move forward.
Try it with your child
Let's count your teeth. Stand at a mirror with a grown-up. Open wide and say aaah. Touch each tooth with your tongue. How many can you count? Now draw your teeth on paper. Leave a gap where a tooth is missing. Colour the baby teeth blue and the adult teeth white. Which colour has more?
Safety: Safety first: never pull a tooth that is not very loose. Ask a grown-up.
Explore it together in the full lesson
Guess, find clues, build the chain and try the experiment. Read it together.