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The Best Way to Get a Child’s Loose Tooth Out

Nobody seems to have a distinct idea of what the Tooth Fairy actually looks like, but, regardless of her – or maybe his – appearance, for more than a century, he or she has helped make losing a baby tooth a less painful proposition for children throughout the world. Here in the United States, according to the results of a recent national survey, when American children go to sleep with a tooth placed carefully under their pillow, they wake up the next morning with an average of
$3.70 in its place. However, before that tooth can turn a profit, it has to come out of the child’s mouth, and, sometimes, that can be a problem, according to Rory Nathanson, a dental hygienist with Summerville Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics. Of course, a loose tooth is a common occurrence for young kids, Nathanson points out. The 20 baby teeth begin to emerge at the age of 6 months, and they usually start giving way to adult incisors, canines, bicuspids and molars between the ages of 5 and 8. She says once a tooth starts to wiggle, it’s best to let children continue to loosen it with their finger or tongue until it falls out on its own. “It shouldn’t be a scary thing,” Nathanson says. “Hard food like an apple or raw vegetables will help, and there’s no danger of swallowing the tooth because it’s so small.”

In most cases, a baby tooth is loose because an adult tooth is trying to emerge and push it out of the way. However, there are situations when a loose tooth might require a visit to the dentist – for example, if it’s loose because of some type of trauma to the face or if the child seems to be too young to be losing his or her baby teeth. “If you are unsure, bring the child in. We can take a panoramic X-Ray and see if the child is missing an adult tooth, in which case, the baby tooth wouldn’t come out on its own. We can determine if the baby tooth is worth saving or if it should be pulled,” she says. She adds that it’s not all that uncommon for people to keep one or two baby teeth their entire life, as long as the teeth remain healthy. “If the baby tooth is compromised or has a cavity, we might determine that it needs to be pulled and then do some orthodontic work to close up the space,” she explains. “Baby teeth are typically smaller, with shorter roots, but it doesn’t cause a problem if you keep a couple of them.” Nathanson says that some kids are terrified of losing a tooth, though it’s a natural part of growing up. And, if they do have to pay a visit to Summerville Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics to have a tooth removed, they’ll be able to take it home with them and still have the opportunity to place it under their pillow at night and reap the financial benefit of a visit from that vague and undefined character – the tooth fairy.

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What To Do In A Dental Emergency

WHEN WE THINK OF an emergency, we probably don’t imagine it could have something to do with our teeth. However, any chip, crack, or toothache should be treated as a priority, because even if they seem like minor issues, they can lead to much worse (and more expensive) problems down the line.

Know Where To Go

Before an emergency happens, there are steps you can take to prepare yourself and your family. The first is to find a dental practice that is right for you. This way, you’ll know where to turn when something goes wrong unexpectedly, and you won’t have to waste precious time looking up dental practices. You want a dentist who is within easy driving distance, has a good reputation, is within your price range, and who makes you and your family feel comfortable.

Common Dental Emergencies

In addition to knowing where to turn when an emergency happens, you can also prepare for dental emergencies by becoming educated on what you can do on the way to the dentist. Here are the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s recommendations for three common dental emergencies:

A Knocked Out Baby Tooth

If a baby tooth is knocked out, contact your dentist immediately. Most likely, even if the tooth was not loose, they will not replant it because it could compromise the developing permanent tooth underneath.

Fracture Of A Tooth

If a tooth is cracked, chipped, or broken, contact your dentist right away because this will need treatment as soon as possible. Rinse out your mouth with water and find any broken fragments of tooth, then place them in cold milk to preserve them and bring them with you to the dentist. Do not ignore a crack or chip! If the dental pulp is exposed, it is in danger of infection unless treated quickly!

Watch this video to learn about bonding, one way a dentist may repair a chipped tooth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyPxbrnkLMk

A Knocked Out Permanent Tooth

If a permanent tooth is knocked out, head straight to the dentist. In most cases, a knocked out tooth can be saved if the dentist sees you within an hour of the accident. Before you get there, you can help preserve the tooth by replacing it in the socket and holding it in place with clean gauze or a washcloth. If it won’t go back in, store it in cold milk.

A few things you should NOT do if a permanent tooth gets knocked out are letting it dry out, handling it by the root, scrubbing it clean, or using soap, alcohol, or peroxide on it. Doing any of these things will damage the root of the tooth, reducing the chances the dentist will be able to successfully replant it.

We are Ready To Help!

Even if your tooth shows no external damage, a toothache is a sign that something could be wrong on the inside, and that should be seen by a dentist as soon as possible. Now, hopefully you will never have to put any of this preparation to the test, but if you do, you now know where to go! If you have any questions about what else you can do to prepare for a dental emergency, don’t hesitate to ask us.

Your dental health is our top priority!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Please feel free to contact us with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. 

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4 Animals With Unusual Teeth

4 Animals With Unusual Teeth

 

ANIMALS MIGHT NOT BE as concerned with maintaining their oral health and hygiene as we are, but that doesn’t stop some of them from having very interesting teeth! Like our teeth are adapted to an omnivorous diet, animal teeth are adapted to the foods they eat. In some cases, the results can get pretty strange. Today, we’re going to focus on four of the weirdest sets of chompers we could find.

  1. The Tusks Of The Babirusa

Babirusas are pigs native to Indonesia, but these pigs aren’t quite like the farm animals we’re used to. No, these pigs have a serious dental problem in the form of their multiple pairs of very large tusksThese tusks are actually the babirusas’ canine teeth, which continue to grow through their lives. The males’ upper canines grow right through their upper lips and keep growing, sometimes so much that they end up curving all the way back around towards their skulls! Yikes!

  1. The Icepick Teeth Of The Payara

The payara is a carnivorous fish from the Amazon Basin whose lower fangs have earned it nicknames like “vampire tetra” and “saber-tooth barracuda.” These long, thin fangs range from four to seven inches long, and the payara uses them to impale its prey, including piranhas! Payara can grow to up to four feet long and 80 pounds!

  1. The Serrated Bill Of The Goosander

At first, you might think a goosander looks like any other duck, but if you catch one yawning or chomping down on food, you’ll notice its rows of tiny, razor-sharp teeth! These European birds are members of the Merganser genus, also called sawbills — so named because of the 150 teeth lining their bills, which are designed to saw through whatever they eat, such as small mammals and sometimes even other birds!

  1. The Red Fangs Of The Triggerfish

Triggerfish are a group of about forty different species of brightly colored fish marked by the lines and spots in their scales, but don’t let their beautiful scales distract you from their teeth! Triggerfish have very powerful jaws and teeth that they use to crush the shells of crustaceans. The redtoothed triggerfish is perhaps the weirdest species of the group, with bright red fangs protruding from its mouth!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlmWckxsynQ

Taking Care Of Your Teeth

Do you know of any other weird teeth out their in the wild? We’d love to hear about them! In the meantime, make sure you continue taking great care of your own pearly whites by brushing and flossing regularly. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!

We love helping our patients take care of their teeth!