Baby teeth are not only used for eating, but they also hold the space necessary for the permanent (adult) teeth to erupt into the mouth. When the adult teeth begin to make their way in the direction of the mouth, they dissolve the root of the baby tooth that is essentially in its way. This is this process that causes the baby teeth to become loose. Once most, if not all of the root has been dissolved, the tooth becomes very wiggly and is ready to come out.
Your child will begin to lose baby teeth very close to the order in which they first made their appearance into your child’s mouth. As the baby teeth are lost, the adult teeth begin to take their place. The following information is a general guideline as to when you can expect to see your child lose his baby teeth and “grow” in the permanent teeth.