Stubborn Loose Tooth: 3 Tips
Your child's baby teeth will loosen and eventually fall out, making room for their permanent teeth. Unfortunately, some children will have loose teeth that seem to be stubborn and uncomfortable. If your child's loose tooth is not falling out fast enough, help is available. This guide will help you and your child deal with a stubborn loose tooth.
Wiggle and Wiggle Some More
In most cases, your child will naturally use their tongue to play with and wiggle the loose tooth. This is a great way to help loosen the tooth more, helping it finally fall out completely.
Encourage your child to continue wiggling the tooth as much as possible. They should move the loose tooth back and forth and side to side in its socket throughout the day.
Make sure your child does not use their hands, though, to remove the loose tooth. If their hands are dirty, they may end up passing dirt, food residue, and even bacteria to the tooth and gums, increasing the risk of contracting an infection. Allow them to continue using their tongue to loosen the tooth even further.
Flossing Can Help, Too
Flossing is important for a variety of reasons. Not only does it pull out leftover food residue, but it also removes plaque and bacteria that may be lingering behind, in between, and under the teeth and on the gums. Flossing can also help a stubborn loose tooth.
Place a piece of flossing string in between the loose tooth and an adjacent tooth. Use a U-shape motion to floss in the space, moving back and forth to create the letter U. Avoid saw-like motions that irritate the gum tissue, causing pain and bleeding of the gums.
After a few minutes of flossing each day, the loose tooth will eventually fall out.
Dental Intervention
A stubborn loose tooth will not only be annoying- but it can also affect your child's ability to eat, chew, and speak. If it has been a period of time and the tooth still has not fallen out, schedule a consultation with a pediatric dentist.
The dentist will be able to determine why the tooth has not fallen out completely. In many cases, the dentist will be able to use gentle force to remove the stubborn loose tooth. There may be instances where tooth extraction is necessary, especially if the underlying permanent tooth is trying to erupt behind your child's baby tooth.