Can You Painlessly Pull a Child’s Loose Tooth and How?

Kids usually start losing their baby teeth at the age of six. The first ones to fall out are the front teeth, and while for some this process is very exciting, other children might feel very scary. However, kids are not the only ones thrilled and frightened by this process – the parents are too. 

Children might be very eager to pull the loose tooth out, but sometimes if it is done too early that can be very painful. Because of that, it is very important to explain to them not to hurry and to wait for the right time to pull the baby tooth out. As a parent, you will probably want to make this process as pain-free as possible. 

In case that you are looking for the best ways to painlessly pull a child’s loose tooth, the tips we provided below can help you find the answers you need. 

Let Your Child’s Tooth Come Out Naturally

One way to make this process painless is to wait until the tooth is ready to fall out naturally. It is important to know that baby teeth loosen gradually and that you will have to wait for a week or two from the first signs of wobble until they are ready to be removed from your kid’s mouth.

The best thing you can do is to inspect your child’s tooth and see whether it is ready to come out. If it is connected only by a small flap of gum tissue, then it is best to leave it that way to avoid bleeding and pain. Unless the tooth is extremely loose do not try to pull it out, since that is an obvious sign that the process is not over yet, and yanking it out can even cause injuries to your child’s gum tissue. 

Give Your Child Hard or Chewy Food to Eat

There are two ways how chewy or hard food can help you pull a child’s loose tooth painlessly. The first scenario is that the tooth will get stuck in the hard food and your child will not even notice that it fell out. The second case is that this type of food will dislodge the primary tooth.

Keep in mind that this method is suitable only when the primary tooth is extremely loose because otherwise, it can cause unnecessary pain to your child, or even swelling when a visit to the dentists is necessary.

In case you are not sure which type of food can help you knock out the child’s baby tooth, you can try it with caramels, crunchy carrots, fresh apples, or peaches. 

Tell Your Child That it Is Important to Floss Daily

You have probably already told your child that flossing is an important part of oral hygiene, and your kid should already be doing that daily. However, this can be very useful when you’re dealing with a loose tooth, because the fibers of the floss will catch under it and pull it painlessly out from your child’s mouth. 

Don’t forget that you should attempt this only if the tooth is very loose, to prevent tearing up your child’s gums. Also, if your kid is complaining that the flossing process is painful, you should not force the child to do that, because that can only make things worse. 

Avoid the ‘Doorknob’ Method

If you haven’t experienced this yourself, you have probably heard stories about the ‘doorknob’ method where the string is tied around the tooth and the other end is attached to a door handle. The next step is that someone shuts the door quickly, which will cause the tooth to fall out. Although this seemed to be one of the most popular ‘painless’ methods, it can cause a lot of stress to your child, and cause vast bleeding if the tooth wasn’t ready to come out. 

So, even if you used to think that this is a great way to pull a loose tooth out of your child’s mouth, we suggest you do not try it, since it can cause more harm than good. 

Should You Pull a Child’s Loose Tooth Out By Yourself?

No matter how tempting these methods are, we always suggest you visit your dentists before you try to pull a loose tooth out on your own. That is the best way to ensure that your child will not experience the pain and to make this process as stress-free as possible. Visiting a dentist doesn’t mean that it will be necessary to pull a tooth out. You can simply schedule a consultation and learn more about whether that baby tooth is ready to come out or not, as well as what you can do to make this process easier for your child. 

Don’t forget that if you wait for too long to pull a baby tooth out, it can cause the permanent teeth to be crooked, and then your child will have to wear braces and that is not something kids like. Having this in mind, it is always better to visit a dentist and make sure that you have done everything right.