Pulling Baby Teeth – When and How?

Should you be pulling out baby teeth? How and when is the best time?

Youtube can show you countless creative ways to pull out baby teeth; from the “slamming door” method to newer techniques like the nerf gun. For some kids this is harmless fun, but for others it can be painful and scary.

It’s important to remember that teeth should only be pulled when they are loose enough to come out with very little pulling by the parent or child. Having a loose tooth can become uncomfortable as it can shift around and poke the gums affecting chewing. Remember that you want to make sure the tooth is not pulled out prematurely. Let your child be in control of the situation; this will ease anxiety and fear surrounding losing a tooth.

Your child will likely play with the tooth with their tongue throughout the day, gradually loosening it. If they are becoming anxious to lose the tooth offer crunchy snacks like apples to speed up the process.

When the tooth is truly ready to fall out organically there should be little or no blood, but have gauze ready to clean the area and rinse the mouth out to keep the site clean.

If your child has a loose tooth that is causing pain or keeping them up at night, call our office to make an appointment and we can assess if the tooth will need to be extracted in office.

(604) 936-1263 or email https://austindentalgroups.com/contact/

Don’t forget to read last week’s blog about the tooth fairy for more information!