Ask a mum: How do I pull out my child’s teeth?

Q: My five year old has her first loose tooth.  I am terrified of pulling it out but I am told I have to so that the other tooth can grow out properly. How do I handle this?

A: Maria Carpenter, Mother of a 7 year old;

You have probably been told that unless you pull out the milk tooth, the new tooth will grow in crooked. Even though most of us had our teeth pulled as children, there is no need to actually pull out your little one’s tooth.  Our dentist informed us that out of all the kids who have loose milk teeth, less than 5% get a new tooth growing in at the same time. This means that the milk teeth hold the place for the permanent teeth and once the milk tooth gets loose enough, it will come out by itself.

When left alone the baby teeth get so loose that they turn sideways and the child will eventually take it out by himself or it will come out on its own.  You can have the child bite into a crisp apple or carrot. This usually does the trick in removing the loosened tooth.  Pulling teeth for your child can be very traumatic and is not necessary, even when the tooth appears to be dangling and barely connected to the gums.

If you feel that the loose tooth has taken several months to come out, or if there is swelling, pain, redness, or infection, take your child to the dentist.

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