Losing a tooth is an exciting milestones for a child. According to HealthyChildren.org, children typically begin shedding baby teeth around the age of 6 and finish by 12. When done properly and at the right time, a lost tooth can be a virtually painless experience for your child. Use encouraging and reassuring words with your child if he is nervous about losing her teeth.
Let Your Child Do It
BabyCenter.com advises parents to let the child be the one to pull the tooth. Only your child can determine how much discomfort she can handle. Don't make your child feel rushed or pressured to remove the tooth. Encourage her to wiggle the tooth with her fingers or to push it back and forth with her tongue. Eventually, the tooth will pull away from the gums, the root will dissolve and the raw, exposed gum underneath will begin to heal, reducing the sensitivity your child feels. Remind your child to wash her hands before she puts them in her mouth. If she is nervous about wiggling her tooth, brainstorm various activities that she can do to take her mind off her tooth, and let it fall out naturally.
For Parents
Parents can and should be a part of this exciting adventure in their children's lives. Dr. Alexandra Artisuk, a dentist based in Park Ridge, Illinois, explains, "If parents really feel they should get involved, they should do it the right way." Artisuk says a tooth should only be pulled if it is so loose that it is just hanging by a tiny thread of tissue, or if it is sitting in its socket ready to fall out. After washing his hands, the parent should use a warm, damp cloth or gauze pad, place it firmly but gently over the tooth, and give it a mild tug. If the tooth does not come out, leave it alone for a few more days. If the tooth does come out, have the child bend forward over a sink to avoid swallowing blood, and place a new fresh gauze over the gum area to stop the bleeding.
Be Encouraging
If your child has fear or anxiety about potential pain or blood from losing a tooth, you can do a number of different activities to get your child excited about losing her tooth. Prepare a toothbrush kit for your child to help her develop good dental hygiene habits. Include a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, floss and a daily chart to remind your child to brush twice and floss once daily.
Create a tooth timeline for your child. On a long piece of paper or a chart, mark down your child's age as each baby tooth grew in. Then, as she begins to lose her baby teeth, chart each milestone. Make a game of it and have her guess which tooth she will lose next so that she can anticipate the next loose tooth.
Warning
Never yank a tooth or tie a piece of string around the tooth and pull it. Baby teeth fall out on their own timing. If you pull a tooth prematurely, the root of the baby tooth may not have fully dissolved and can break, leading to infection.
MayoClinic.com suggests regular dental visits for your child, encouraging good dental habits and limiting food and drink --- especially sugary treats and drinks --- between meal times.
Occasionally, if your child's tooth is not loosening sufficiently on its own, his dentist may perform a simple extraction to remove the tooth. If your child's gums exhibit swelling, mouth pain or excessive bleeding, call your family dentist to receive further instruction.
References
- Dentistry.com: What to do If Your Child Has a Loose Baby Tooth
- Babycenter.com: Should I Pull Out a Very Loose Tooth?
- Brain Pop Jr.: Losing a Tooth
- MayoClinic.com; At What Age Do Children Start Losing Their Baby Teeth?; Alan Carr, D.M.D.; April 2011
- HealthyChildren.org; When Children Begin to Lose Their Baby Teeth; 2 Jun 2011
