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How to help loosen and remove your child’s tooth at home
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If your child begs you to help them pull out a loose tooth, you may not know what to do. Loose teeth are a part of childhood, and your child will typically start losing their teeth between the ages of 6 and 8. Pulling the tooth out is always an option; however, it could cause pain. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about pulling out your child’s tooth with as little pain as possible. With our guidance, your child will get a visit from the tooth fairy in no time.
How to Pull a Tooth at Home
Have your child eat crunchy foods, floss regularly, and wiggle the tooth as much as possible to loosen it. Use ice or teething gel to numb the gums to ensure your child doesn’t experience any pain. Then, use a piece of sterile gauze or tissue to get a better grip on the tooth and twist to pull it out.
Steps
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Eat crunchy foods. Chowing down on something hard and crunchy is an excellent way to loosen a tooth and help it come out without pain. Have your child chew on crunchy foods like apples, carrots, and celery to help their tooth come out faster. [1] X Research source
- Start small and work up to the crunchiest foods to make sure the hard texture doesn’t cause pain. For instance, give them a firmer peach or pear first.
- If your child feels the tooth come loose while chewing, have them spit the food into a napkin and check for the tooth.
- Call your doctor or dentist if they accidentally swallow a tooth. There’s typically no cause to worry, but you may want to contact your dentist just in case.
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Brush and floss as usual. Regular brushing and flossing may help loosen a tooth and make it easier to pull out. Have your child focus on the area near the gumline around the loose tooth. Advise them to avoid brushing or flossing too hard—there shouldn’t be any pain. Aim to have your child brush and floss at least twice a day. [2] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- To floss your teeth , use about 18 inches (46 cm) of floss and wind most of it around the middle finger of one hand and the rest around the middle finger of the other hand. Hold the floss between your thumb and your forefinger and guide it between the loose tooth and its neighbor teeth in a back-and-forth motion. [3] X Research source
- For a better grip, use a flossing pick . This is an excellent option for children who struggle with holding a long piece of floss.
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Wiggle the tooth. The looser the tooth is, the less pain your child will feel when you try to pull it out. Have your child use their tongue and clean fingers to loosen the tooth with a gentle wiggling motion throughout the day. Advise them to avoid pulling or pushing the tooth too hard, which may cause pain.
- If your child experiences extreme pain while gently wiggling a tooth, contact your dentist immediately, as this may be a sign of an infection or gum swelling.
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Suck on ice chips. Ice can help numb the gums attached to the tooth and prevent pain. Before you start wiggling or tugging on the tooth, consider having your child hold a piece of ice to the gums around it. [4] X Research source
- Have your child suck on ice chips throughout the day for 10 minutes at a time to help relieve pain and soreness.
- Avoid sucking on ice chips repeatedly, taking breaks every 10 minutes or so; otherwise, the ice may damage the gum tissue.
- If your child is a picky eater, let them suck on an ice pop instead of ice chips. Just make sure they hold the popsicle over their loose tooth.
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Use teething gel to numb the area. Numb the tooth socket with a topical anesthetic gel that contains benzocaine. While these products are designed to soothe teething pain in babies, they can also help soothe pain in children with loose teeth. Apply a bit of teething gel to the gums around the loose tooth before you pull it, following the instructions on the packaging. [5] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
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Grip the tooth with sterile gauze and twist gently. If you think the tooth is loose enough to come out, use a piece of sterile gauze to grip and twist it. The gauze gives you or your child a better hold on the tooth, making it easier to pull out . Do back-and-forth and left-to-right motions to twist the tooth free. This helps remove the existing tissue around the tooth, so it comes out easily. [6] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- If the tooth doesn’t come out on the first try, replace the gauze with a new piece and try again (as long as there’s no pain).
- If pulling on the tooth hurts or it doesn’t budge when you apply light pressure, stop trying to pull it out and continue wiggling techniques (eating crunchy foods, brushing, flossing, etc.).
- If you don’t have sterile gauze, use a clean piece of paper towel or tissue instead.
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Apply pressure to the gums until the bleeding stops. Putting gentle pressure on your child’s gums with sterile gauze after pulling out a tooth can reduce pain and stop any bleeding that occurs. If your child’s gums hurt or bleed a little after the tooth is pulled, roll up a new piece of gauze and stick it in the empty space. [7] X Research source
- Keep applying pressure until the bleeding stops, which is typically within a few minutes.
- Once the bleeding stops, check the gums for baby tooth fragments. If there are any, call your dentist as this could cause future dental problems.
- If your child’s gum bleeds profusely, contact your dentist.
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Keep mouthwash and straws away from your child for 24 hours. After a tooth is pulled, a blood clot will form in the tooth socket. This clot needs to remain in place so the area can heal properly. Avoid rinsing the mouth, drinking from a straw, or doing anything else that involves suction or vigorous rinsing for at least 24 hours.
- Avoid brushing or flossing the tooth socket or the area around it as well. Your child should still brush and floss their teeth, but leave the empty tooth socket alone and avoid vigorous swishing.
- To avoid any excess pain or soreness, feed your child soft, room-temperature foods for the first 2 days after pulling out their tooth.
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Place a wet tea bag over the tooth socket. A wet tea bag may also help soothe sore and irritated gums after a tooth is pulled. Steep a tea bag in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove it from the water and let it cool. Wring the tea bag out and hold it against your child’s empty tooth socket. [8] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Green tea is the best to use, thanks to its antibacterial and healing properties.
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Give your child an over-the-counter pain reliever. If your child complains of pain in their mouth, consider giving them a pediatric painkiller. Children’s acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be enough to help ease their pain. [9] X Research source
- Opt for a liquid form of medication if your child has a hard time chewing or swallowing pills.
- If you’re unsure if you should give your child a pain reliever, contact their pediatrician with any questions.
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See a dentist if the tooth doesn’t come out. If the loose tooth is causing your child extreme pain or is stuck in their gums, call your dentist immediately. Intervention isn’t typically needed, but it may be required if a tooth doesn’t come out on its own. The dentist can use a bit of local anesthetic to help pry the stubborn tooth out so your child isn’t in any pain. [10] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- In some cases, teeth may have a cyst or infection, like granuloma, at the end of the root. Dentists can professionally clean and remove the infection to prevent any further complications.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionMy tooth is big and painful. What should I do?Dr. Macau is a Doctor of Dental Surgery based in London, England. Dr. Macau is an oral surgeon, periodontist, and aesthetician at Favero Dental Clinic where he is known for his cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics work. He is actively involved in scientific research in the field of dentistry and he received his DDS from Carol Davila University of Medicine in 2015.You should schedule an appointment for a dental emergency. If you don't pull it out by yourself, it can cause you pain. The real problem appears when there might be a fracture, and even if the tooth is loose, because a small part of the root may still be left in the bone.
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Warnings
- The techniques mentioned in this article are for children and baby teeth only. If you’re an adult with sore wisdom teeth, loose teeth, or broken teeth, or other dental problems, contact your dentist to have your teeth professionally taken care and/or extracted to prevent further complications.Thanks
- Don’t try to force a tooth to come out. If the tooth isn’t loose and you try to pull it, it will be painful.Thanks
- While tying the tooth to a string and attaching it to a door knob is a popular way to lose a tooth, it’s not the safest, and dentists advise against this forceful method. [11] X Research sourceThanks
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References
- ↑ https://tinyteethwichita.com/p/BLOG-79605-2021.2.8-Easy-Foods-Your-Child-Can-Eat-with-Loose-or-Missing-Teeth-p.asp
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/expert-answers/baby-teeth/faq-20058532
- ↑ http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/flossing
- ↑ http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/e/extractions
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-toothache/basics/art-20056628
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/expert-answers/baby-teeth/faq-20058532
- ↑ https://www.anchoragepediatricdentistry.com/bleeding-baby-tooth/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082946/
- ↑ https://www.riodentalgroup.com/blog/2018/04/29/pediatric-dentist-irving/
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you’re worried about pulling your tooth out, make the process as painless as possible by using ice to numb the gums near your loose tooth. Try sucking on some ice chips right before you try to pull your tooth out, and do it again if it comes out to numb the pain. If your tooth isn’t quite ready to come out, give yourself a break, otherwise, the ice might damage your gum tissue. To get your tooth ready to come out, gently wiggle it with your finger during the day, because the looser your tooth is, the less pain you’ll feel when it comes out. You can also loosen it by eating crunchy foods like apples, celery, and carrots. For more help, like how to reduce the pain after pulling your tooth out, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "So I just lost my second-to-last molar. When I pulled down and moved it back and forth, it only got slightly looser, but when I twisted, it shifted down to where a small part was attached. Then I pulled hard down just to get it over with. No pain! Thanks, guys!" ..." more
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"So I just lost my second-to-last molar. When I pulled down and moved it back and forth, it only got slightly looser, but when I twisted, it shifted down to where a small part was attached. Then I pulled hard down just to get it over with. No pain! Thanks, guys!"
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"I have had many loose teeth, all of which ranged from painful to painless. I had a tooth dangling by a thread, not even in place anymore, but it hurt to touch. I followed the instructions, read some Q&A at the bottom, and gave it a firm tug. No pain! "
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"This Wiki/article helped me a lot, and it helped me by giving me lots of choices, even choices for after you pull your tooth out. My tooth came out by me doing the 3rd step on part 1. I love this wiki, and I recommend this to everyone!"
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"It really helped me to know what to do next time my tooth is wobbly. My teeth usually take ages to come out, but the one I had today didn't take that long because of reading this and following one of the steps."
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"So I was wiggiling my tooth with my tongue and then it started like to move so I pulled it with my tongue again and it just fell and before it hurts now it perfect and there is no more pain!!! Thanks a lot!!!!"
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