As your child gets older, they will begin losing their baby teeth. This is a major milestone and can be exciting. The teeth should fall out naturally, but they can sometimes need some help. Here are some things you need to know.

Should You Pull Your Child's Tooth?

Once a tooth becomes loose, it is best to let nature do the work. Pulling a loose tooth out can actually cause damage to the gum tissue and can even hurt. For one thing, a tooth that is loose may not be loose for the right reason. For example, if your child fell and hit their mouth, a tooth can become loose prematurely. In this case, you need to take your child to the dentist to find out what the best course of action is. Your dentist may opt to pull it using anesthesia to ensure there is no pain and no damage is done to the underlying permanent tooth. In other cases, the dentist may advise you to leave the tooth alone and let it fall out on its own.

How Do You Know When a Baby Tooth Is Ready to Come Out?

Normally, a tooth is ready to come out as the permanent tooth begins to grow from the gum tissue. The permanent tooth will gradually absorb the baby tooth root, causing it to loosen and eventually push it out. When the tooth can be moved around without any discomfort, it can come out. At this point, encourage your child to wiggle the tooth as much as they want to get the tooth out. You can also have your child bite on a hard piece of fruit, like an apple or a pear. This will put pressure on the tooth and cause it to pop out. Regular brushing and flossing will also cause the tooth to come out.

The key to knowing when the tooth is ready to come out is the lack of bleeding. A tooth that is ready to come out should not bleed much and will not feel painful at all.

What Happens if Gum Tissue Is Left?

In some cases, there might be some gum tissue left in the mouth after the tooth falls out. This is a normal part of losing a baby tooth. Do not be tempted to pull on the tissue to remove it. Leave the tissue in place. It will eventually come off by itself with regular brushing and flossing.

For more information on pediatric dental care services, contact a professional near you.

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