Your child has a loose tooth, so the best way to take care of it is to tie a string to it, attach the other end to a door knob, and then slam it – right? Wrong!
It is understandable that your child might to start getting stressed about a loose tooth, especially if they have a dangler that just doesn’t want to seem to budge. While these off the wall removal methods might make for a good comedy, they should be avoided at all costs.
Be Patient
When it comes to a loose tooth, really the best thing that you can do is to wait it out. The exception would be if a permanent tooth is coming in ahead of or behind the baby tooth, but in any other case, time is your best friend. Your child’s tooth will fall out on its own, or it will get to the point where your child can work it out by himself.
Some parents try to hurry their child into pulling out a tooth before they are ready, but you should really follow your child’s lead in these situations. Only he will know how the tooth feels, and rushing to get the tooth out can lead to a painful or traumatic situation that has him nervous about dental work in the future.
Once the Tooth Is Out
Once your child’s tooth does finally find its way out of his mouth, have him rinse out his mouth with a saltwater solution right away. Biting on some sterile gauze can help with bleeding, but this should be the extent of any physical symptoms.
If it is your child’s first lost tooth, he may be confused about the process. Make sure that he knows that a permanent tooth will soon be growing in, and let him know how important it is to take care of that tooth so that it can last forever.
Please contact us if you have any questions about your child’s loose tooth.