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If your child has a loose baby tooth that is bothering him, you may wonder if you should try to pull it out or just wait for it to come out on its own. It may be tempting to simply pull the tooth from your child's mouth, but this is not always the best course of action. Here are some things to think about before you pull a loose tooth.
Why Is It Loose?
A loose tooth doesn't always mean a permanent tooth is coming up. Kids sometimes knock their teeth out when playing or falling. If your child's tooth is knocked loose, you should make an appointment with your dentist to get it checked out because there can be a risk of infection or damage to the permanent tooth.
First In, First Out
Kids usually lose teeth in about the same order they get them. The front teeth go first, usually around age six or seven. When a permanent tooth starts coming in, the roots of the baby tooth dissolve until it is loose enough to fall out painlessly and with very little blood.
If the loose tooth in your child's mouth is not one that is ready to come out naturally, attempts to extract it may tug on its sensitive roots and cause unnecessary pain. If you're not sure why one particular tooth is loose, and it seems too early or out of sequence for your child, you may wish to contact your dentist.
Consider the Natural Way
In general, if you and your child can handle the inconvenience, it's best not to pull a loose tooth, but rather let them wiggle it until it falls out on its own. This will minimize the pain and bleeding associated with the loss of the tooth. If there is ever any concern about a loose tooth, consulting your dentist is the best course of action.
Have your children ever had two rows of teeth? Did you start thinking that maybe they should be casted during Shark Week? Don’t worry. Shark teeth are completely normal and does not mean your child is morphing into a tiger shark.
Children typically start losing teeth between the ages of 5 and 7. This process begins when permanent teeth start to erupt and resorb the primary(baby) tooth, causing the baby tooth to become loose. However, sometimes the primary tooth is still there when the permanent tooth erupts giving your child a second row of teeth.
What should we do?
If your child has two rows of teeth, first check the primary tooth to see if it is loose. If it is loose, encourage your child to wiggle and loosen it until it falls out. Sometimes the permanent tooth erupts and the primary tooth is not budging. If this is the case, call us to discuss the next step, your child may need to have the tooth extracted or given an extra wiggle by the dentist.
What happens if we do nothing?
If your child has two rows of teeth, the permanent teeth will start to deflect and move out of position, this could mean future orthodontic care.
Teeth are interesting and can do a lot of crazy things that might look scary. If something looks concerning, or your child is complaining of discomfort, please call us anytime.