Posted on 1/25/2021 by Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry
Losing baby teeth and growing adult teeth in their place is an important aspect of your child's dental development. Baby teeth naturally loosen up as permanent teeth grow in right behind them, causing the baby tooth roots to dissolve. Generally, baby teeth should loosen and come out on their own when they are ready, but sometimes they need a little bit of wiggling to come out. However, there are also times when you should not touch your child's loose tooth.
If the Tooth Does Not Wiggle
A baby tooth that is ready to come out should wiggle a lot when your child touches it with their tongue or finger. With some gentle wiggling, a loose baby tooth should fall out easily. If the loose tooth barely wiggles or if it hurts your child to touch or move the tooth, leave the tooth alone. Its roots probably have not fully dissolved and the tooth is not ready to come out yet.
If the Tooth is Loose From an Injury
Just like adults can have permanent teeth knocked loose from playing sports or falling down, children can also have baby teeth loosen as the result of an injury. If your child had a tooth knocked loose from an injury, you should not touch it out of risk of infection or further damage. Call our office immediately if this happens to your child.
In general, it is best to let baby teeth fall out on their own. Encourage your child to wiggle a loose tooth with his or her tongue. If you need to help, always wash your hands first, and ideally use a piece of medical gauze or a tissue to grip the loose tooth. If you are unsure why a particular tooth is loose or you have questions about your child losing baby teeth, call our office for help.
Blog - Wichita, KS • Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry At Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Healy created this informative blog to assist with educating the community about various topics of pediatric dentistry. Tiny Teeth Pediatric Dentistry, 3933 N. Maize Road, Suite 200 Wichita, KS 67101 - (316) 202-9629 - tinyteethwichita.com - 2/14/2025 - Key Phrases: Pediatric Dentist Wichita KS -
Losing baby teeth and growing adult teeth in their place is an important aspect of your child's dental development. Baby teeth naturally loosen up as permanent teeth grow in right behind them, causing the baby tooth roots to dissolve. Generally, baby teeth should loosen and come out on their own when they are ready, but sometimes they need a little bit of wiggling to come out. However, there are also times when you should not touch your child's loose tooth.