When Your Child Has a Loose Tooth
When your child has a loose tooth and then loses it for the first time, they’ve crossed a big milestone in their life and so have you as parents! Whether you tell them about the Tooth Fairy or not, most kids are excited about the upcoming event of losing a tooth, though some can be nervous or even scared. The best thing you can do is offer reassurance and let the child know that it is completely natural and nature’s way of allowing permanent “big boy” or “big girl” teeth to come in.
A baby tooth will not become loose until there is a permanent tooth that is pushing it up. There are cases however, where dental disease can occur or an accident can cause the tooth to be lost before the permanent one is ready to take its place. In this situation, a dentist can put a “holder” in place to prevent any spacing problems in the future.
When your child has announced that one of their teeth is loose, encourage them to wiggle it so that it falls out sooner. This will also help minimize the bleeding and the pain that is commonly associated with losing a tooth. The child should gargle with warm water when the tooth has fallen out to clean the area. During the next few days the child shouldn’t brush their gums too hard in the area where the tooth socket is to avoid irritation and inflammation.
When a child loses a tooth it’s a great time to talk to them about how important taking care of their teeth is and to introduce them to a dentist. These are the teeth that you want them to have for the rest of their life and it’s necessary to explain how to treat them properly and give them all the respect they deserve early on. Good oral hygiene habits should begin early and last a lifetime.
If your child has a loose tooth or has recently lost one and you have concerns, please don’t hesitate to call our clinic at 905-235-6999. You can also visit our website at allsmilesdentalcentres.ca to learn more about our dental practice, our team and the wide variety of services we offer for children’s dentistry.
