Now Offering Free Orthodontic Consultations!
Between ages 6 and 12, your child loses all of their baby teeth. This natural process allows your child's new adult teeth to emerge.
Baby teeth usually fall out on their own, but a loose tooth can occasionally hang by a thread for days or otherwise bother your child. Pediatric dentists Staci Brunell, DMD, and Priyanka Patel, DMD, from Yorktown Pediatric Dentistry in Yorktown Heights, New York, share when you can help pull out your child's loose tooth and how to do it safely.
It’s usually safe to pull out your child’s baby tooth at home if they have a very loose tooth and are in the expected age range to lose their baby teeth. You can always wait for the tooth to fall out on its own, but if the tooth bothers your child and they ask for help, you can help complete the process.
Avoid pulling out the tooth if:
If the tooth is barely loose, give it time to loosen further before helping your child pull it. Contact our team for treatment advice if the tooth is loose from trauma or decay, your child is unusually young to lose a tooth, or your child’s adult tooth is loose.
By following a few basic guidelines, you can help your child pull out a stubborn loose tooth. When you’re extracting the tooth, remember these tips:
People have attempted to pull out baby teeth by following the old wives’ tale that suggests tying a piece of string around the tooth, tying the string to the doorknob, and yanking. This practice can cause your child severe pain and injure their teeth and gums.
Only gently grasp and twist a tooth to pull it out. If the tooth won’t come out, it’s not ready to be pulled yet.
Wash your hands before attempting to pull out your child’s loose tooth. Use clean gauze, tissues, or paper towels instead of pulling the tooth out directly with your fingers.
You can help relieve the pain of pulling out a loose tooth by giving your child pain medication or applying an ice pack before pulling the tooth. However, if your child is still in more than minor pain or asks you to stop, stop your efforts to remove the tooth.
After a successful effort, it’s normal for your child to experience some bleeding and sensitivity around the gums. You can stop any minor bleeding by holding clean tissue or gauze to the tooth until it stops.
Help your child gently brush and floss the gum for a day or two to avoid further irritating the area. Ensure your child maintains their oral health routine while awaiting the tooth fairy.
Very loose baby teeth usually come out easily with a bit of effort from you or your child. However, if the loose tooth won’t come out for a long time or is causing your child pain or distress, our team helps with solutions, including extracting the tooth in the office.
Contact us for advice on caring for loose baby teeth and to schedule a pediatric dental appointment.
