At Helotes Family Dentistry, we love working with patients of all ages. From your child’s first dental visit (either when they get their first tooth or by their first birthday!) to a variety of restorative treatments that can help our adult patients achieve the smiles they’ve always wanted, our team treats each patient as an individual. Today, we want to talk about a topic that parents of younger children often ask us about: pulling baby teeth.
Baby Teeth
Like most mammals, humans have two sets of teeth. There is plenty of variation about exactly when your child will begin losing their baby teeth, but usually baby teeth begin to fall out around the age of 6. For most children, the first tooth they lose will be a central incisor, a front tooth. Most kids have lost each of their twenty baby teeth by the age of 12.
What Happens When a Tooth Is Loose?
Most children – especially those who’ve heard about the tooth fairy – will let their parents know when a tooth is loose. Because children are so naturally curious, usually they can’t resist wiggling and playing with a loose tooth until it falls out on its own. Most of the time, we advise that parents let this occur naturally. Although some parents may want to pull out a loose tooth to speed up the process, this can damage tissue that’s not quite ready and lead to pain, bleeding, and even infection. So, practice patience and let nature take its course!
Sometimes, teeth take a few days or even a few weeks to fall out, and that’s perfectly normal. However, if your child is complaining about severe pain, or you notice any unusual swelling or signs of irritation, call our office immediately.
To ask our team any other questions about losing baby teeth or to schedule your next visit, contact our office today!
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