Children are supposed to lose their first set of teeth (primary teeth, sometimes called “baby teeth”), which usually happens around elementary school age, and a tooth won’t loosen and come out naturally until the permanent tooth below pushes through the gums. However, some children have issues that might require a dentist to pull teeth before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. The most common reasons are:

• Extreme decay that cannot be fixed with a filling or root canal
• Overcrowding that might cause problems in jaw development
• A fractured or broken tooth that is too damaged to repair
• To prepare for braces