Losing baby teeth and greeting grown-up teeth are rites of passage for children. They’re rites of passage that can come with some fraught moments, though. Some teeth seem to stay loose for a long time before finally falling out. As impatience mounts, you may wonder whether you should help that process along by pulling the tooth from your child’s mouth for her. You shouldn’t. Here’s an explanation for why you should leave those loose teeth alone or consult with a pediatric dentist in Apollo Beach FL if you’re really concerned.
Why is the tooth loose in the first place?
The natural replacement of milk teeth with permanent teeth is not the only reason that your child’s tooth may be loose. Kids also suffer injuries to their teeth in falls and accidents and in sports and roughhousing. If your child’s loose tooth can be explained by one of those scenarios, that looseness may be a symptom of injury or trauma rather than maturity. If there is any possibility that your child has sustained an oral injury or trauma, contact a clinic that provides restorative dentistry in Apollo Beach.
One sign that the loose tooth your child can’t help poking at might not be loose because she’s growing up (but because of some other reason that should be investigated at pediatric offices near you) is that it’s the wrong tooth.
As a general rule, the first teeth that grow into your child’s mouth are the first teeth to fall naturally out of their mouth because they’re being replaced by adult teeth. In most situations, those are the teeth in the front and they start to get loose and be replaced at around age six or seven. If your child’s tooth seems to be loose or coming out in the wrong order, get in touch with a dentist about restorative dentistry near you.
When NOT to pull out a child’s loose tooth
Don’t ever pull out your child’s loose tooth if any of the following are true:
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The tooth is loose and seems to be coming out in a different order than it grew in
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The tooth might be loose because of an injury or trauma
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The tooth is only a little bit loose (because it might still be firmly connected at the roots)
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Your child experiences pain whenever she touches or pokes at the tooth
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You haven’t consulted with your dentist
In just about every situation, a tooth that is naturally coming out because it is ready to be replaced by a permanent tooth will fall out all on its own. As the emerging permanent tooth rises from the jaw and penetrates the roots of the baby tooth, those roots of the baby tooth dissolve until the point that the tooth will fall out painlessly and almost entirely bloodlessly.
If none of the above situations exist and your child has an extremely wobbly tooth that they want help to remove — and no pain when they poke and prod at it — don’t pull the tooth. Ideally, you should let your child wiggle that loose tooth as much as they want with their tongue to encourage it to fall on its own. If they (or you) are too impatient for that, don’t pull it but wrap the tooth with a clean piece of tissue and squeeze it gently between two fingers. A tooth ready to come out will fall out in your fingers. If it doesn’t come out on its own, don’t pull. It may still be attached at the roots and pulling it will cause unnecessary pain and bleeding. Let it be.
The swapping out of teeth is a natural process that almost invariably occurs without complications. If you’re anxious about anything your child is experiencing, though, don’t hesitate to contact a pediatric dentist in Apollo Beach FL for advice.