Do you remember when you lost your first tooth? This is a big milestone in a child’s life and children react in a variety of ways. We encourage parents to talk with your children about this process to calm any fears they might have about losing their baby teeth and explain that it is a normal part of growing up.
We suggest that you encourage your children by telling them how exciting the new changes will be. Be sure to mention that the tooth fairy is nice, and consider offering a sweet treat after they lose the tooth. When you talk to your children, encourage them to wiggle the tooth out on their own. Make sure they know it normally takes a few days to fall out, but it is important not to force the tooth out or yank it out before it is ready. Forcing a tooth out before it is ready can damage the mouth because the roots can break off and get infected.
Your children might also try to avoid brushing their teeth or eating healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables while they have loose teeth. It is important that they maintain a healthy diet and dental habits while they are undergoing the process of losing teeth.
If your child takes longer to lose the first tooth, it is a good idea to talk to them and make sure they don’t feel left out or weird because other children at school have already lost teeth. Eventually, the teeth will begin to falling out, and being different isn’t bad. If your child is past the age of seven and hasn’t began to lose their baby teeth, there likely isn’t any need for worry, but we encourage you to schedule a visit with our office to make sure everything is healthy.