What to do When Your Child Loses a Tooth
Watching your child hit milestone after milestone is a very exciting things for parents. Another milestone around the age of five or six is losing their first baby tooth, sometimes referred to as milk teeth. However each child is different, some start losing baby teeth as early as the age of four or as late as eight.
First Come First Serve
Teeth usually fall out in the same order that they came in. Typically the two bottom middle teeth are the first to go, then the top two front teeth. Three to four teeth will fall out each year until all 20 baby teeth are gone around the age of 12. Your child might experience ‘teething pain’ again when the molars start to cut through. These molars can be more painful since there were no baby teeth to pave the way. The first set of molars usually begin to come in around the age of six or seven. The second molars begin to cut through around age 12. Then the third molars, otherwise known as wisdom teeth come in between the age of 16-20. Many times the third molars are removed to prevent future dental problems. Wisdom teeth can cause misalignment, grown in impacted, and more.
Get to Wiggling
Once you or your child notices the loose tooth, encourage them to keep wiggling. However do not pull or force the tooth out until it is ready! Removing the baby tooth too early can lead to an infected root and can be more painful for your child. A loose tooth can take a few days or a few months before it falls out. It just depends on how fast the tooth root dissolves or is reabsorbed by the body.
It’s Out of Here
Once the baby tooth has fallen your child may experience some bleeding. If you child accidentaly swallowed the tooth, don’t be alarmed, it will pass through the body. The bleeding should subside within an hour. Try to avoid using straws as the suction could disturb the blood clot and cause the site to begin to bleed again. Once the bleeding has stopped you can have your child clean the area by using a gentle salt rinse. Simply mix salt with warm water and have them swish gently to clean and disinfect the gum area.
After Care
Ensure that your child’s oral hygiene routine is in tip top shape by brushing their teeth twice a day for at least two minutes at a time and flossing at least once a day. However make sure they are brushing gently around the area where the tooth was lost. Brushing too hard can irritate the area. It may take a few weeks to even a few months before you notice the adult tooth coming in. If it has been six months and there is still no sign of the adult tooth, contact your dentist to ensure there are no complications. The adult tooth is going to be much bigger and may look funny in your child’s mouth. They will grow into it! The adult teeth will also appear less white and will have more ridges since they have not been smoothed down by food yet.
If you believe that there may be something wrong with the way your children’s adult teeth are coming in call us today.
