Despite the prevalence of funny videos circulating on TikTok and YouTube depicting toddlers getting their baby teeth pulled to a varying degree of discomfort or humor, pulling out a loose tooth isn’t always the best course of action. As a parent you may wonder what’s better, letting a baby tooth fall out naturally, or pulling it out. Ultimately, it’s for you to decide on at the end of the day, as it’s your child. Before you make that decision, however, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Today’s dentists will usually advise parents of the following: DON’T yank your kids’ teeth out. Anyway, a child will usually notice the loose tooth by themselves and wiggle the tooth on their own, which will loosen it further and cause it to come out on its own. Best leave it up to your child. Only they know how painful or lose a tooth is so, they can handle some minor wiggling of the tooth and can stop themselves if they cause any pain. Even if they don’t wiggle the tooth with their tongue or fingers, the pressure of the adult teeth coming in, and normal brushing and chewing will loosen the tooth and let it fall out in due course.
- There shouldn’t be any significant bleeding if the tooth came out at the right time, i.e., not forced or prematurely a small piece of gauze or tissue held in the place of the missing tooth for a few minutes should be enough to staunch the bleeding.
- Not just wisdom teeth get impacted. Sometimes, your child’s adult teeth erupt in odd directions causing pain and discomfort. When you see this, it’s best to consult your orthodontist right away to prevent any further misalignment and damage to the rest of your child’s teeth.
- Sometimes, a tooth will fall out during a meal, if your child bit down on something hard enough. Don’t be alarmed, even in the event that your child swallows a tooth, they are unlikely to choke on it, and it will likely pass through their system. You may need to work something out with the tooth fairy though.
And that’s the best we can tell you about pulling out baby teeth. It’s totally up to you to decide what to do about lose milk teeth. Most children start to lose their baby teeth at around age seven, by this time, (and even well before that) it’s best to have an orthodontist you trust to take a look at your child’s orthodontic development. Feel free to book an appointment for your child’s dental health with us here at Bobby Jivnani Dental Clinic.