Most children start losing "baby teeth" around age 6. If you have a swinging tooth that's been bothering you for weeks, but you're too scared of pulling it out, don't worry! You can remove any loose and annoying tooth without much difficulty. Using a few simple tricks, you can put it under your pillow waiting for the Tooth Fairy in no time!
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Remove the Tooth
Step 1. Move it with your tongue
The good thing about using your tongue to loosen your tooth is that you can do it wherever you are. Try pushing it back and forth, swing it left and right, or pull it towards the center of your mouth; any movement that does not cause pain is fine.
You may experience an itchy sensation at the base of the tooth, near the root. This means that the tooth is ready to come off
Step 2. Use your finger to move the tooth a little more
Gently tease it every day with a clean finger. This helps him to naturally loosen gradually. However, don't force the movement too hard.
Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before doing this method
Step 3. Bite into crunchy foods
Another way to get him to fall is to simply enjoy a common healthy snack! An apple or pear are great choices because they have a hard skin and a crunchy texture.
- If the tooth moves a lot, it may be difficult to bite into food. However, you can try to take a bite out of it with your other teeth and then chewing should help loosen the swinging one further.
- If, on the other hand, the tooth is still quite stable and you bite into the food hard enough, you may experience pain. Be cautious until you understand how far you can apply some pressure.
Step 4. Brush the tooth
When it is about to come off, simply push it a little to make it fall. Sometimes even the simple action of the toothbrush is enough to make it fall (or at least loosen it). Brush your teeth normally (at least twice a day), making sure you move gently on the swinging one.
Step 5. Grab it with gauze
You can yank it a little to make it give out, even if it's not ready to come off yet or you don't want to pull it. Take some sterile gauze and grab the tooth with your fingers to move it and tease it a little.
- If you have decided to take it out, you can use the same method by twisting it quickly as you tug on it. Gauze is also useful for absorbing blood.
- If you are concerned about pain, you can also apply some oral anesthetic to the tooth and surrounding gum area before proceeding.
Step 6. Try waiting
If you feel like the tooth isn't giving out, it's probably not ready yet, so be patient. If it doesn't hurt, doesn't distract you from your daily occupations, doesn't interfere with your other teeth and chewing, you have no reason to worry about waiting.
Generally, milk teeth fall out in the same order in which they erupted, starting when the baby is around 6-7 years old. However, sometimes they can also fall with different criteria and at different times. The dentist who examines the dental arch will be able to answer your questions about tooth loss
Step 7. Do not force the extraction if the tooth is not ready yet
It is usually not a good idea to take it off if it only rocks slightly but does not seem to want to fall. Getting it to come off could be painful and could cause some bleeding, with the risk of developing infections. If you want to detach it at all costs, even though the permanent one is not yet ready to erupt, you could cause problems in the future, such as crooked teeth or lack of space for the new tooth that needs to emerge.
- Some solutions, such as tying one end of a rope around the tooth and the other around a door handle and then closing it quickly, are not good ideas. You could break the tooth and cause further injury.
- If you accidentally bump into it before it is ready to fall naturally, contact your dentist, so that he can fix the problem and put all the necessary treatments in place.
Step 8. If none of these systems work, go to the dentist
If your baby tooth is causing pain and you don't want to fall out despite all your attempts, don't be afraid to ask for help. Make an appointment with the dentist; he will be able to understand why it does not come off naturally and will be able to find a painless solution to solve the problem.
Part 2 of 2: Managing the Tooth After Extraction
Step 1. Once the tooth has come off, gargle
Be prepared for the gum likely to bleed a little. Once the tooth is removed, gargle or rinse and continue spitting out the water several times until you see no more blood and the water becomes clear again.
- You don't have to be scared if you feel like you see a lot of blood. Since blood mixes with saliva, it may seem like a lot more than it actually is.
- You can make a gargle solution by mixing a pinch of salt in 120ml of warm water. Mix the solution and rinse. Salt is useful for fighting infections.
Step 2. Use gauze to stop the blood
Even if the tooth was very loose and seemed "hanging by a thread", the gum may still bleed a little. In this case, you don't need to worry, as this is a perfectly normal situation. If this happens, place a piece of gauze or a clean cotton ball over the hole left by the tooth to absorb the blood.
Bite into the gauze and hold it on the site for about 15 minutes. The bleeding almost always stops even earlier. However, if it continues to bleed, you should see your dentist
Step 3. Take a small dose of pain reliever
If your mouth is a little sore after your tooth falls out, you don't have to wait for the pain to go away. You can relieve this by taking an over-the-counter medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, which can make you feel much better. just make sure you take the correct dosage for your age by following the directions on the leaflet.
- Ask an adult to help you take the right dose of the drug.
- Children should not take aspirin, unless the doctor suggests it.
Step 4. Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling
Keeping the area cold can also help manage the pain caused by the tooth falling out. Place a few ice cubes in a plastic bag (or get a package of frozen vegetables) and wrap it in a light towel. Place it on your cheek in the sore spot for about 15-20 minutes. Over time, the pain, swelling, and inflammation should subside.
If you wish, you can also buy a ready-made cold pack that you find in almost any pharmacy. It is just as effective as home cooking
Step 5. Go to the dentist if the pain doesn't go away
Most teeth that fall out naturally shouldn't cause pain for a long time. However, when they fall or start swinging due to an injury or oral problem, you may experience pain or there may be damage. Sometimes some more serious problem can occur, such as an abscess (a fluid-filled "blister" caused by an infection). Left untreated, these complications can lead to illness, so it's important to see your dentist just in case the pain caused by loosening your tooth doesn't go away on its own.
