When children reach a certain age, they begin to grow out of their baby teeth. But before the tooth comes out and they get paid a visit by the tooth fairy, there’s a fair amount of wiggling and playing with the tooth that helps get it to the point where it can be removed. Once the tooth is loose enough to come out, there are several safe methods that can be used to quickly and painlessly to remove it.

Just Keep Wiggling

As time passes, a baby tooth will naturally become loose by constant use of the mouth for eating, getting pushed  by the tongue, and from the adult replacement tooth erupting underneath it . All of these factors help to gradually loosen the tooth until it’s ready to be removed.

When it gets to the point where you can wiggle it back and forth a significant amount, you can use your thumb and index finger to  twist the tooth out. As long as the tooth is ready to come out, this is typically one of the easiest and most painless ways to remove a tooth. If you want to be a bit more sanitary and prepare for any blood, you can use a piece of gauze.

Eat Hard Foods

Eating crunchy or hard foods such as apples and carrots can help to push the tooth out using the force of the mouth and the jaw. Also, eating chewy foods like tough meats may provide enough force to knock the tooth loose.

Use Floss

When a tooth is very loose and you don’t want to use your fingers, or it’s too difficult to reach with fingers, you can use floss to get it free. Wedge a string of floss beneath the tooth and pull hard to quickly free the tooth.

Use Tweezers

If you need more precision than fingers can offer, a pair of tweezers can be used to grip a very loose tooth. Using a clean, sterile pair of tweezers can also be safer as it eliminates bacteria from the fingers that can get in the wound left behind from the removed tooth.

See a Dentist

If a tooth isn’t loose enough and needs to be removed to clear the way for an adult tooth that’s coming in, you may have to resort to going to the dentist to get it removed. Rather than attempting to pull the tooth prematurely and cause more pain than necessary, the dentist will have the  expertise necessary to make the removal of the tooth a safe and painless process.

Looking for a dentist you can rely on? Allegiance Dental Associates delivers the kind of gentle, trusting care you want for your family. Contact us today to set up an appointment.