Pulling Your Child’s Loose Tooth

Most of us got a little help losing our teeth when we were younger. Dad would tie a string around our loose tooth and the other end around the doorknob, or mom would just reach in with a tissue and yank the loose tooth out! Our parents or grandparents really never thought twice about pulling our loose teeth, but you may be wondering about what you should regarding your own child’s loose tooth.

A loose tooth doesn’t necessarily mean your child is receiving his or her permanent teeth. Kids have been known to roughhouse and teeth can sometimes be knocked loose on accident. If this happens to your child, please be sure to bring your child here to Auburn Family Dental, as there can be a risk of infection or damage to the adult tooth underneath.

These days, we do not recommend that you yank your child’s loose tooth out. There’s a possibility that you could do damage to the sensitive tissues around the tooth. This damage can potentially cause pain, bleeding and even an infection in the tooth. It’s perfectly natural for your child to be curious about their loose tooth, even wiggling it or playing with it until it falls out on its own. The best way to approach a loose tooth is to allow it to fall out naturally.

It can be frustrating to wait and let nature take its course (especially for a child who is anxious for a visit from the Tooth Fairy!), but this is the best way to minimize the bleeding, pain and possible infection that could come with pulling a tooth out.  

If your child has a loose tooth and you have any questions or concerns, please make an appointment for your child to be seen here at Auburn Family Dental. Our dental office is located here in Wichita, KS.