Blog

When children reach the age of six or seven, they begin to look forward to visits from the tooth fairy, who – as rumour has it – dispenses coins in exchange for lost teeth.

At this age, they lose their baby milk teeth or primary teeth, which should fall out without too much meddling. The roots of the baby teeth dissolve until they are loose enough to fall out, making way for the permanent or secondary teeth to emerge.

If all goes well, there will be no need to visit a dentist. When the child complains his or her tooth feels loose, it is best not to remove the tooth by force because the loosening and eventual falling out of the baby tooth is a natural process. This progression assists with the development of facial structures like the jawline.

However, there are some instances when a parent feels the need to assist in the extraction of a milk tooth. 

Multiple rows

In some cases, children start developing their permanent teeth before the milk teeth have fallen out. This is referred to as ‘shark teeth’. This is a harmless development, and the baby teeth will usually fall out eventually. Sometimes, dentists will intervene and remove the baby teeth if they hamper the growth of the new teeth. It can also be painful if the jaw gets too full, or the new teeth grow out crooked. 

Decay 

According to the Healthline, if there is tooth decay, the child would need to visit the dentist as the tooth would need to be cleaned or removed. The danger of bacteria or plaque spreading to nearby teeth is a worrying factor as this leads to all sorts of secondary infections such as bleeding gums.

The most commonly removed teeth are the primary molars in those hard-to-reach places at the back of the mouth.

At-home methods and safety

If everything goes well, parents are advised to tell their children to use their tongue to push at the tooth or eat crunchy apples until it falls out. There is unlikely to be a bloodbath because when a tooth is ready to come out, there won’t be much bleeding. In order to stop any bleeding, the child has to bite down on a clean piece of damp gauze for easy removal. A strip of dry gauze is likely to stick to the gum, causing fresh bleeding once removed.

However, in order to avoid bacterial infection, children or their parents should not prod at the tooth with their unwashed hands.

Avoid the old wives’ tales that involve tying strings to doorknobs or dogs’ collars and yanking the tooth out by force. This could cause excessive pain if sensitive nerve endings are damaged through forced removal. Bleeding, damage to tissue or infection can also occur.  

If the tooth takes too long to fall out on its own, the following means of pulling the tooth are recommended:

• Wash your hands and assist the child in opening his or her mouth wide.
• Use clean tissue paper or gauze to push the tooth back and forth.
• Ensure that the tooth is ready to be removed and if so, give it a gentle twist and it will come out easily.
• Use clean, damp gauze to stop minimal bleeding and this should take a few minutes to stop. Should the bleeding last for 15 minutes or longer, contact the dentist.
• Check the gums to see if the whole tooth has been removed and that there are no fragments left behind.
• If there are fragments, visit the dentist for removal. Likewise, if the child complains of pain or the gums are tender and red the next day.  

Dentist, Dr Steffany Mohan suggests that the above procedure should start by rubbing some non-prescription oral analgesic on the area surrounding the tooth. Within a few minutes, the oral analgesic will numb the area. Or if the child is feeling anxious, consider giving him or her a dose of pain medication to allay apprehension.

Dr Mohan encourages teaching children good dental health practice from the age of two because even though they have baby teeth for a short time, this plays a vital role in spatial maintenance for the permanent teeth, balancing the normal features of the face, supporting proper speech development and assists with attaining proper nutrition with better capacity to chew and provides a healthy environment for the development of the permanent teeth.

Starting early with good oral habits ensures that children are well placed to enjoy good dental health throughout their lives, which include brushing their teeth with fluoride toothpaste, changing toothbrushes regularly to contain harmful bacterial growth and routine dentist check-ups twice a year.

Affinity Dental has three tiers of dental insurance available at different price points. Each of these options covers certain specialist work to various degrees. 

Adults and children need to visit the dentist at least twice a year and these dental maintenance appointments can start adding up. Dental insurance will cover you for any additional treatments such as crowns, root canals or fillings, whether they are done at the dentist, or specialist practice.  

Usually, a dentist will refer you to a specialist, if needed. 

If you need to find an Affinity Dental approved dentist in your area, click here.