Do you remember what you felt when you lost a tooth for the first time? Were you excited to become more grown up, or scared that your body was falling apart? Children react to this adolescent milestone in many different ways, and we encourage you to talk with your child as they are undergoing this process to make sure they understand what is happening and to calm any fears they might have about losing teeth.
How to talk to your child about losing teeth
Explain to your children that losing teeth is completely normal, and encourage them by telling them how exciting these changes are. If the idea of earning money helps, be sure to explain the Tooth Fairy will pay them for their teeth. When talking to your children about their loose teeth, encourage them to wiggle the teeth out on their own, rather than trying to force them out in other ways. It is important not to force the tooth out or use the method of tying a string to the door to yank it out, because this could cause damage to the mouth if the roots can break off in the gums. Forcing the tooth out before it is ready can lead to problems like infection.
Your child may try to avoid brushing his or her teeth and may not want to eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables while they have a loose tooth. It is important that they maintain healthy diet and dental habits even while they are undergoing the process of losing teeth.
If it takes your child longer to lose his or her first tooth, you might want to talk to them to make sure they don’t feel left out or abnormal since they may be among the last ones to undergo this process. Explain to them that eventually the teeth will begin to fall out, and everyone is different. It is not a bad thing if they take a bit longer than some of their friends. If your child is past the age of seven and hasn’t began to lose baby teeth yet, there is likely no reason for worry, but we encourage you to schedule an appointment with our office to make sure everything is healthy.
