Safely Remove a Loose Baby Tooth for a Happy Tooth Fairy Encounter
Although Santa Claus has Christmas and the Easter Bunny has Easter, neither of these mythical characters has a day just for them (unless you count the Feast of Saint Nicholas in early December). Not so the Tooth Fairy: According to NationalToday.com, August 22nd is National Tooth Fairy Day, in celebration of this favorite sprite of children.
And, there’s good reason for the love—he (or she, if you prefer) comes bearing gifts. Well, not technically a gift: the deal is a tooth in exchange for a treat. Now, what the Tooth Fairy does with all the millions of teeth obtained, no one knows. But that he/she has a huge potential supply is undeniable.
The teeth sought are a specific kind—primary (“baby”) teeth that start showing up on the jaw a few months after birth and then gradually fall out by adolescence. Kids have around twenty of these teeth for the potential under-the-pillow exchange.
Here’s how it happens: The roots slowly begin to dissolve and the gum tissues holding the tooth in place detach. The sure sign this is occurring is the tooth’s noticeable looseness. The process continues naturally, and with no help from us, until the tooth falls out.
But children especially can grow impatient—a wiggly tooth becomes annoying, not to mention all that “earning potential” just hanging there. And so, there’s an understandable urge to help it along. But some methods for doing so are problematic—tying a string to the tooth and yanking, for example. Trying to remove a tooth not quite ready can result in excessive bleeding or damage to the tooth socket.
Depending on a tooth’s degree of looseness, there is a way to take it out safely. You can do this by draping a piece of gauze pad over the tooth and grasping it firmly between your fingers. Then, gently give the tooth a gentle downward pinch or squeeze. If it’s loose enough, it should come out. If not, simply wait another day or two and try again.
A tooth ready to come out doesn’t normally bleed much. If it does, have the child bite down on a clean piece of gauze or a wet tea bag for a few minutes until the bleeding stops. They might also eat softer foods for a few days to avoid a resumption of bleeding.
Of course, the tooth inevitably comes out whether you help it along or not. In the event it does away from home, make up some kind of small container your child can carry with them to secure the lost tooth. It’s a fun project—and we wouldn’t want to lose the opportunity for that profitable encounter with You-Know-Who.
If you would like more information about caring for children’s primary teeth, please contact us or schedule a consultation. To learn more, read the Dear Doctor magazine article “Losing a Baby Tooth.”
