Why Is My Child’s Baby Tooth Loose and Changing Colour? What Parents Need to Know
A loose baby tooth changing colour around age six is usually normal, explains our Brisbane paediatric dentist. If a lower front baby tooth suddenly becomes wobbly and looks pinkish or slightly reddish, the adult tooth underneath has probably dissolved most of its root. It is not usually decay. No appointment is normally needed unless there is pain, swelling, a gum pimple, bleeding that does not stop, or the tooth was knocked and is not loosening further.
Author: Dr Ellie Nadian, DDS, DClinDent (Paed Dent), MRACDS, FIAPD, Specialist Paediatric Dentist, Pure Dentistry, Upper Mt Gravatt.
Last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Next review due: October 2027.
This article is general information only and does not replace an individual assessment by a registered dental practitioner.
When do children normally lose their first baby teeth?
The Australian Dental Association says baby teeth usually start becoming loose at around age six, most often beginning with the lower front teeth, and that this can happen a little earlier or later in some children. The ADA’s tooth eruption chart lists the lower central incisors, the two bottom front teeth, as shedding at around six to seven years, followed by the lateral incisors at seven to eight years.
So if your child is five or six and a bottom front tooth is wobbling, the timing is right on schedule.
Why does a baby tooth become loose?
A baby tooth does not simply fall out. As the adult tooth develops underneath, cells called odontoclasts gradually dissolve the baby tooth’s root. This is a normal, healthy process called physiological root resorption. By the time a baby tooth is noticeably wobbly, there is often very little root left holding it in place.
Why is the baby tooth changing colour?
As the root dissolves, the crown of the baby tooth becomes a thin shell. The blood-rich tissue that is breaking the tooth down sits inside that shell and can show through, which can give the tooth a pinkish or slightly reddish look. In an otherwise healthy, wobbly baby tooth, this colour change is expected and is not the same as decay.
A grey colour is a different matter. It is the colour described in research on baby teeth that have had a knock, and it is covered further down. Decay typically shows as brown or black spots or a cavity on the surface of the tooth, often with sensitivity to sweet foods. If you are unsure which you are seeing, a dentist can tell the difference in a brief check.
Why did it go from slightly loose to very loose so quickly?
When only a sliver of root remains, even a small force can make the tooth noticeably wobbly. Biting into a firm piece of fruit, a bump during play or simply wiggling it with the tongue can be enough. A sudden increase in looseness at this age is common and usually not a sign of a problem.
What about the tooth next to it?
Front teeth tend to shed in pairs. If one lower front tooth is loose, the neighbouring one often starts to wobble within weeks to months. This is normal.
Can my child wiggle or pull the tooth?
Letting the tooth come away on its own is best. Gentle wiggling with a clean finger or the tongue is generally fine, but avoid forcing a tooth that is still firmly attached, as this can be painful and may cause unnecessary bleeding.
Keep brushing gently twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, taking extra care around the loose tooth. Children tend to skip a sore spot, so check that it is still being brushed.
What if the tooth was knocked?
A knock to a baby tooth can also turn it grey, sometimes weeks after the injury. The International Association of Dental Traumatology’s guidelines for baby teeth say a dark, discoloured baby tooth usually needs no treatment, but it should be watched for signs of infection, such as a pimple on the gum.
If your child’s tooth was knocked and has changed colour but is not loose, book a check so the dentist can keep an eye on it and on the adult tooth developing underneath.
When should you see a dentist?
Please book an appointment if you notice any of the following:
- Pain that does not settle, or pain that wakes your child at night
- Swelling of the gum or face
- A small pimple or bump on the gum near the tooth
- Bleeding that does not stop after gentle pressure
- A tooth that is discoloured but not loose, especially after a knock
- A loose front tooth in a child under four, with no obvious cause
- An adult tooth coming through behind a baby tooth that is still there after two to three months
If none of these applies and your child is around five to seven years old, a wobbly, discoloured front tooth usually needs nothing more than patience.
Frequently asked questions
Is a grey baby tooth always a sign of nerve damage?
No. Research on knocked baby teeth is mixed: in one study the grey colour went away again in 44 teeth, while other research found the nerve had died in many dark teeth, so colour alone does not settle it. The IADT guidelines say a dark baby tooth usually needs no treatment but should be watched for signs of infection, such as a pimple on the gum.
Will the colour change affect the adult tooth?
A colour change in a normally shedding baby tooth does not harm the adult tooth developing underneath. The pink or red tint is simply the baby tooth breaking down. A grey tooth after a knock is different because the injury itself, not the colour, can sometimes affect the adult tooth, which is why those teeth are checked.
How long will it take to fall out?
Once a tooth is very loose, it often comes out within days to a few weeks. Some linger longer, which is still normal. If an adult tooth has already come through behind it and the baby tooth is still there after two to three months, book a check.
Do baby teeth need to be removed by a dentist?
Usually not. Most come away naturally. A dentist may help if a tooth is causing pain, if the adult tooth is erupting behind it, or if it has been very loose for many weeks without coming out.
Pure Dentistry provides general and paediatric dentistry in Upper Mt Gravatt, Brisbane. If you would like your child’s tooth checked, call us on 07 3343 4869 to book.
References
- Australian Dental Association. Tooth eruption charts factsheet, 2022. https://teeth.org.au/media/seue2hxd/ada2022-factsheet-tooth-eruption.pdf
- Australian Dental Association. Babies and toddlers 0-3 years: baby teeth development. https://www.teeth.org.au/babies-and-toddlers
- Harokopakis-Hajishengallis E. Physiologic root resorption in primary teeth: molecular and histological events. Journal of Oral Science, 2007. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/josnusd/49/1/49_1_1/_article
- Abbott PV, Lin S. Tooth resorption, part 2: a clinical classification. Dental Traumatology, 2022. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/edt.12762
- Raising Children Network. Dental care for school-age children. https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/health-daily-care/dental-care/dental-care
- Day PF, Flores MT, O’Connell AC and colleagues. International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries: 3. Injuries in the primary dentition. Dental Traumatology, 2020. https://www.aapd.org/research/oral-health-policies–recommendations/guidelines-for-the-management-of-traumatic-dental-injuries-in-the-primary-dentition/
- Jacobsen I, Sangnes G. Traumatized primary anterior teeth: prognosis related to calcific reactions in the pulp cavity. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 1978. https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actaodontologica/article/view/36134
- Holan G. Pulp aspects of traumatic dental injuries in primary incisors: dark coronal discoloration. Dental Traumatology, 2019. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/edt.12483
- Premature loss of deciduous teeth as a symptom of systemic disease: a narrative literature review, 2022. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8953685/
