Everyone remembers losing their first tooth. The anticipation, the feeling of the tooth barely hanging on by a thread, perhaps you even remember tying it to a door and shutting it with your older sibling at the helm!
Your parents may have not approved of that method then, and as parents today you probably don’t approve of it now! So, what’s the best way to remove a loose tooth for your child? Let’s find out!
When to expect a loose tooth
By the age of three, most children have all 20 of their primary teeth. At that point, the countdown begins to around the age of six-years-old when they will begin to loosen and fall out to make room for their permanent counterparts.
Teeth will fall out in the order they came in and your child should have lost all their primary teeth by the time they reach the age of 13. There is no rhyme or reason when they will fall out, but that broad timeframe is a reasonable expectation.
Most children are very excited to lose their baby teeth, thanks in no small part to the tooth fairy. The process of losing them is also much less painful than teething, which is good news for you as parents!
Removing a loose tooth
If your child has a loose tooth and keeps wiggling it around and messing with it, that’s okay! While waiting it out is the best choice, having your child play with the tooth will help make it even looser and expedite its detachment.
Some dentist’s warn against these methods though due to bleeding and the potential for infection, but the potential is minimal and the bleeding is nothing a little gauze can’t handle.
It’s also important to note that he or she should do the pulling. Only they can tell how truly loose it is. If you want to help, try having them bite into an apple! You may just find the tooth embedded in it afterward.
After the tooth has been removed, check to make sure the tooth didn’t fragment in the socket it left behind. If you see that it has, visit your pediatric dentist as soon as possible to have the situation assessed.
Other than that, it should be smooth sailing! As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
