Losing baby teeth is something every child will experience. When the time comes, you may be wondering if you should pull your child’s tooth or not. However, loose baby teeth require specific dental care. To ensure your child is comfortable and their permanent teeth come in smoothly, follow these tips.

Do:

Let your pediatric dentist know if there are two rows of teeth

The pediatric dentist should know about a baby tooth overstaying its welcome. Kids often get two rows of teeth when the new adult tooth grows in back of the over retained baby tooth.  Your dentist may also want to take a closer look, if the tooth are coming out early. Typically, children lose their first baby teeth between ages five and six. A dentist can also offer management advice over the phone.

Encourage your child to wiggle the loose tooth

Often when a child has a loose tooth they are afraid to touch it, eat with it, or brush it.  It is OK and encouraged to wiggle loose teeth with clean hands or the tongue to encourage it to fall out.  

Don’t:

Ignore dental care.

Loose baby teeth can still host decay-causing bacteria that may spread to the rest of the mouth, so your child needs to brush and floss around it. Instruct them to gently brush all surfaces of the tooth and when flossing, not to tug, which may pull the tooth out prematurely.

Ignore incoming teeth.

If the permanent tooth erupts while your child’s baby one is still in place, it can create alignment issues that require orthodontic treatment to fix. Contact the dentist right away. They’ll likely extract the baby tooth to let the permanent one move into position.

Whether your child is sprouting baby teeth or the adult ones are coming in, rely on Pedodontic Associates for their dental care needs. For over 25 years, they’ve been Hawaii’s go-to choice for pediatric dentistry. Additionally, they’ve received accreditation from the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. To make an appointment, call (808) 735-1733 for their Honolulu office, (808) 487-7933 for their Aiea location, or (808) 877-0066 for their Kahului branch. You can also explore their services further online.