Baby teeth fall out to make room for permanent teeth. Don’t think that just because it comes out, it doesn’t matter. When a tooth becomes loose, don’t rush to pull it out. Yanking out your wiggly tooth too early can cause infections and dental complications.
Primary teeth begin falling out between the ages of six and 14. Many children get excited when their first tooth becomes loose because they want money from the tooth fairy. While baby teeth are acceptable to pull out of your mouth, you need to wait until they are actually ready to come out. If a tooth comes out too early, the other teeth may shift into the empty space, causing crowding or spacing problems for permanent teeth.
Dentists don’t recommend playing with your loose tooth. The constant movement can damage the roots, causing complications and alignment issues for the new teeth that try to come in. Also, if you try to yank the tooth out too early, you may break off the top part of the tooth, leaving the rest impacted in your child’s mouth. The dentist will have to cut out the remaining part of the tooth.
If a tooth is ready to come out, there should be little bleeding. If gums do bleed, hold a piece of cotton or gauze on them to control bleeding. It’s also important that only children pull out their own teeth. They can figure out how the tooth is attached. If it hurts too much, your child will know and that means it’s not ready to come out.
If you have a loose tooth that shouldn’t be loose, contact Dr. Donald, Cody, or Justin Coon immediately. Permanent teeth can fall out due to gum disease and other serious dental problems.
The safest way to lose a tooth is just to let it fall out on its own. It’s important to clean the area after the tooth comes out to prevent infection and bacteria from entering the gums. Dr. Coon can tell you if your tooth is ready to be pulled out. He can pull it out for you, or tell your child the best way to do it. Contact Grinnell Street Dental in Sheridan, WY at 307-672-7567 to schedule an appointment.