Has your child recently come home from school with stories about how their friends have pulled out a baby tooth? Or maybe you’ve seen one of the countless online videos on the subject. If so, you know that there’s no shortage of…well, interesting ways to get the job done!
While most baby teeth generally fall out “on time”, it’s also not uncommon for them to hang on longer than they should. In that case, your child might be anxious for a visit from the tooth fairy, which can make it tempting to try one of the many at-home methods of pulling it. But as a pediatric dentist in Irving, we can assure you that there are better ways! Keep reading to learn about some of the most common things people do at home and how you can do it the right way.
What Are Some of the Ways People Try To Extract Baby Teeth at Home?
Both old and new, here are some of the funniest ways we’ve heard of pulling baby teeth at home. Remember kids, don’t try this at home!
- Tie one end of a string around the baby tooth and the other around a doorknob. Then slam the door… and voila! The tooth is gone.
- Connect the tooth to a remote-controlled toy truck with a string and then give it maximum “gas” and watch it go.
- Some people take it a step further and just tie the string to the back of an actual car or truck. Yikes!
Although these methods make for entertaining videos, in some cases they can cause damage to the jawbone, socket, or soft tissues of your child’s mouth.
Thankfully, there’s a better way!
What is the Best Way to Take Out a Loose Baby Tooth?
If a baby tooth has become loose on its own, simply have your child use clean fingers to gently wiggle it every day. Once it’s loose enough that it can be pulled out easily, use your fingers to gently remove it. Don’t use string or other tools!
Then take a clean, damp paper towel and apply gentle pressure to the area to stop any bleeding. You can use an over-the-counter children’s pain reliever if your child complains of any discomfort.
If the tooth isn’t very loose and the permanent tooth has started to come in behind it, the safest and most reliable way to take it out is scheduling an extraction with a dentist for kids in Irving.
We’ll make sure your child is comfortable through every step of the procedure and you won’t have to worry about unanticipated consequences.
We know how impatient children can be to lose a “stubborn” baby tooth. The good news is that an appointment to have it pulled is quick, easy and safe!
About the Author
All of the dentists at Rio Dental & Orthodontics are dedicated to providing their community with outstanding pediatric dental care. They understand that every child is excited about a visit from the tooth fairy, so they make sure to educate both patients and their parents about the best way to take out baby teeth. They can be contacted via their website or at (972) 793-0735.
