Accidental dental damage

Posted on: 30 August 2017

Your first child brings a lot of firsts out of their world into yours. The first time they laugh, the first time they crawl, and the first time they lose a tooth are all memorable experiences. When it comes to the removal of loose teeth, you may remember your parents trying to help you get the tooth out. The problem with this though was that many children grew up afraid of loose teeth because they feared the pain of it being pulled by mum or dad. Now your child has their first loose tooth; these are the techniques they can use to remove the tooth on their own.

Don't rush it

The number one key rule to teach your child is not to rush pulling out the tooth before it is time for it to go. They can wiggle the tooth each day with their tongue without doing any harm, but prematurely pulling out a tooth can lead to a cut gum or an infection. Both of these side-effects require a trip to the dentist to prevent long-term oral damage.

Explain to your child that their tooth has roots like a tree, but unlike a tree, the roots are slowly dissolving on their own, and that is why the tooth is coming loose. When it is naturally time for the tooth to come out, the final root will dissolve leaving the tooth free to exit the gum. This natural method of tooth removal comes with minimal blood loss and no pain.

Pain relief if needed

If your child mentions their mouth is hurting around the loose tooth, try an over-the-counter pain reliever to give them comfort. Additionally, you can rub an oral numbing gel on the gum area to provide some relief. If you notice the gum around the tooth is inflamed or bleeding, take your child to the dentist as soon as possible as an infection could have taken hold. Since there is another tooth below the baby tooth waiting to erupt, you don't want a situation where this permanent tooth becomes impacted because it cannot push through the gum.

What happens if swallowed

Finally, it is possible for a tooth to be consumed when it comes free on its own naturally. Some children may be freaked out and upset about this idea. However, while it is nice to have a physical tooth to place under their pillow for the tooth fairy, no harm will come to their internal organs because they swallowed a tooth. And, rumour has it, the tooth fairy accepts paper cut out teeth as a replacement when this situation occurs.

For more information, talk to a dentist in your area.