Is Your Child's Baby Tooth Taking Too Long to Fall Out?

Having baby teeth fall out is a natural part of a child's life, and it can be exciting and nervewracking at the same time — at least for the parent. If you're concerned that your child's baby tooth hasn't fallen out yet despite wiggling it for some number of days, then read this guide to find out what's normal and what you should do if you're worried.

Know the Normal Time

There's no set standard for how long a baby tooth should wiggle before it's ready to come out. The trick to this is understanding how baby teeth fall out.

When a baby tooth is getting ready to fall out, it doesn't just plop out of the mouth all on its own. A process called tooth resorption happens where the body starts absorbing the roots of the tooth back into the body. As these roots break down, the tooth begins to wiggle. However, releasing all of the roots of a tooth — up to four for molars — can take some time and differs from child to child.

Help Out

Go ahead and encourage your child to keep wiggling the tooth. This can help to speed up the process of loosening it. Your child will stop before it reaches a point where it feels painful or sensitive, so it's best for them to do it themselves.

Know What You Shouldn't Do

Under no circumstances should you try to pull the tooth out yourself. Whether this is a manual extraction or doing something like tying a string to a door, there's great risk to your child's oral health.

Trying to yank out a tooth before it's ready could be a serious problem for your child. If one or more of the roots are still intact, yanking on the tooth could actually break off the roots and leave them behind, leading to an infection. In addition, you're sure to traumatize your child and potentially put them in a lot of pain in the process.

Visit the Dentist

If you're still worried or your child's tooth doesn't fall out after a few more days, it's time to visit a dentist.

Your local pediatric dentistry office will be able to examine the tooth to find out if something has gone wrong with it. This may include using dental X-rays to determine if the roots are still attached to the tooth or not. If absolutely necessary, your dentist can extract the tooth professionally in a way that will be safe for your child. However, in most cases, they'll likely recommend just continuing to wait.

Your child's tooth will let go when it's ready to. But remember, if you're ever confused or worried, you can always call your dentist just to ask questions. They'll let you know if you need to come in to have your child examined.