Teaching Your Children About Losing Teeth  

Losing teeth can be scary for a child. Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics has many young patients who are just starting to lose baby teeth. Being so, it’s quite common for parents to ask for some tips to make it a smooth and easy process for kids losing teeth. Here’s what you should know to teach your kids about losing teeth.

Choose the Time Carefully

It’s best to choose the right time to start the conversation about losing baby teeth. Usually, this means that the ideal opportunity will arise on its own, sometimes when kids get all their teeth they get curious and tend to ask. Most kids actually ask their parents about losing teeth after seeing their siblings or other older children lose their teeth. Sometimes, the topic might even come up from television shows, movies, or other entertainment.

When your child asks, simply talk about losing teeth as a normal part of growing up – one that they can look forward to. Kids generally respond quite well to this when you present baby teeth loss as a sign that they’re growing to be a big boy or girl.

Add Some Extra Fun

The tooth fairy is an old tradition. It’s persisted for such a long time because it’s a positive and fun spin on baby tooth loss. Many children really enjoy the ritual of choosing or making a special “tooth fairy pillow” or even a little bag with a tiny pocket for the tooth when they are losing teeth. This special pillow can be placed under their regular pillow, and the “tooth fairy” can take the tooth to leave behind a little bit of money in its place.

You don’t have to leave much money, either – the fun for the child is simply that they’re exchanging the tooth for a surprise.

Wait to Talk About Pulling Teeth

Sometimes, your child’s tooth is going to need a tug, and that’s something you need to introduce to them gently. When the tooth grows loose, you can encourage your child to wiggle it (with clean hands!) to see how much they can loosen it. Knowing that they’re getting a reward from the tooth fairy soon can motivate them to keep wiggling their tooth. Remind your child that their tooth will come out when it’s ready.

For the first few teeth, it’s very likely that they’ll come out while your child is wiggling them. For some of the later teeth, as your child is growing older, you can help them out by pulling them (once they’re quite loose, of course!) but in general, there’s no need to rush the process when they’re losing teeth.

Explain That Bleeding is Normal

Your child needs to know that blood is normal when it comes to losing a tooth. They might be distressed at the idea initially. After all, blood is usually an alarming thing they only see when they have a cut, scrape, or other type of injury. Explain that when it’s time to lose their baby teeth, they’ll have a little bleeding, but that it will stop soon. Be sure to have plenty of gauze on hand, and teach your child how to bite down on the gauze to stop the bleeding fast.

It won’t take too long for your child to get over the little bit of blood, especially with a visit from the tooth fairy ahead! Plus, tooth loss is a sign that they’re really a big kid now, and that’s something all little ones aspire to be.

Are Your Children Losing Teeth?

At Ponte Vedra Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, Dr. Lindsay is here to make childhood teeth extraction, teeth cleanings, and all other childhood dentistry care easily accessible for your family. Use the online contact form or call the office to get in touch today if you notice your children are losing teeth!