Why do baby teeth come and go?
Kids usually start losing their baby teeth around the age of six or seven to make room for their adult teeth. You have probably noticed a lot of kids around this age with big gappy smiles, that’s because the teeth in the front of the mouth, called incisors, are usually the first to go.
How do baby teeth normally come out?
Normally when a permanent tooth starts coming in, the roots of the baby teeth dissolve until it is loose enough to fall out. In fact most kids will often help with the falling out process by giving them a good old wobble.
When do baby teeth need to be extracted?
However, sometimes teeth don’t fall out as easily as we hope. So you may find yourself wondering if you should go ahead and pull the tooth yourself. We recommend that you do not pull out the teeth yourself. It is better to wait for the tooth to fall out itself, rather force it out. We know that your child can look ever so slightly strange with a tooth dangling, but there is no benefit in pulling your child’s teeth apart from an aesthetic one.
If fact, there are all sorts of dangers associated with pulling your child’s tooth if it isn’t ready. Extracting a baby tooth yourself can:
- Cause excessive bleeding which you really don’t want to have to deal with, and you also risk upsetting your child.
- Cause damage to gum tissue which can cause problems in later life, and one day prove an expensive problem to fix.
- Cause infection. Infection can not only damage the gums, but it can also cause your child a lot of pain. Pain is normally the first sign that a mouth is infected. And again this will require you to have to spend money having the infection treated.
- Please note if you child ever has any pain in their mouth, please contact our lovely team of dentists immediately. Pain means there is something wrong. Whatever is causing this pain will never heal itself, it needs to be treated.
How to encourage the baby teeth to fall out, without pulling them out
There are more natural ways to encourage your child’s tooth to come out. We recommend trying:
- Brushing their teeth several times a day.
- Having your child bite into a crunchy apple.
If you are going to pull out your child’s baby tooth…
If you feel that the tooth is ready to come out, and don’t want to wait, you can pull the tooth with these simple steps or with your guidance.
How to pull out a baby tooth:
- Wash your hands and wiggle the tooth back and forth with a clean tissue. If it’s ready, gentle twisting will be necessary and the tooth will pop right out.
- Apply pressure to the area with a cotton pad if there is any bleeding. Bleeding should stop after a few minutes. If it doesn’t please call us.
- Examine the gums to make sure there any bits of tooth left. It is normal to see some of the adult teeth coming in.
- If you see any redness the next day or your child is complaining of excessive pain, you should call our friendly team immediately. They need to see a dentist.
- Make an appointment for your child to come and see us to ensure there are no potential complications.
Want us to have a look at a wobbly baby tooth?
We are here to help at anytime, and can answer any questions you have about extracting your child’s baby teeth, get in touch today.