We see it in slapstick comedies all the time: a child’s baby tooth is getting loose, so Dad gets some sturdy twine, wraps one end around the tooth, the other end around an open door, slams the door, and – voila! – the tooth is out quickly and painlessly.
Not likely.
Yanking a tooth out will cause pain and it can cause your child’s gums to bleed.
In fact, it’s really best if you let the tooth come out on its own…with a tiny bit of help from your child.
Your child’s baby teeth should pretty much come out on their own, with a little bit of wriggling help from your child.
But if you or your child really can’t wait that long, read below for tips on how to gently pull out a baby tooth.
- As the tooth becomes loose, encourage your child to wriggle it with her tongue. It probably will come out on its own with enough wriggling.
- There’s a chance wriggling it will result in the tooth dangling by a thin “thread” to your child’s mouth, or it can be very loose in its socket, but still hanging in there.
- If that’s the case, you may want to pull the tooth. Place some gauze over it, grab hold gently and twist the tooth out. It shouldn’t hurt much, and your child should feel – if anything – little more than sharp and brief twinge. If the tooth doesn’t feel loose enough to you, don’t pull or twist it out.
- Be aware that sometimes your child’s permanent teeth will erupt behind the baby teeth before your child’s first teeth have a chance to loosen and fall out. If you notice this, visit your dentist to discuss how to make sure your child loses her baby teeth safely.
The reason it’s best to let the tooth pretty much fall out on its own is because your child’s first teeth come out just before her permanent teeth are ready to erupt. So it’s just wise to let nature do what nature has been doing for thousands of years.
Children usually start losing their baby teeth around age 6. They should be completely done losing these first teeth and have all their permanent teeth by about age 13.
If your child still has baby teeth by the time she’s a teenager, or if you have any doubt at all about pulling your child’s baby teeth, visit your dentist.
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