Parents are often worried when their child has no teeth for a long time. This anxiety doesn’t go away when baby teeth appear. Are there too few teeth or, conversely, too many? We collected the most important questions about the transition from milk teeth to permanent ones, as well as possible deviations from the norm.
What to do after a baby tooth falls out?
You don't need to do anything special. After the tooth has fallen out, a blood clot forms in the socket for about 5 minutes. It promotes rapid wound healing. You don't need to treat it with ointments. It is also important that your child does not rise their mouth with anything. Otherwise, the clot can be removed and then healing will be longer.
Some children poke the hole with their tongue after they lose a tooth. There is nothing wrong with that. Make sure that they do not drag foreign objects into their mouths, as there’s a risk of inflammation. After the tooth has fallen out, it is better not to eat anything for an hour. You can give your child a drink, but it shouldn’t be hot. It is advisable not to chew or bite off using the side that lost the tooth food for a couple of days.
Should I extract my child’s tooth if it gets loose?
The milk tooth begins to stagger due to the fact that its roots are dissolving. This is a natural process and in most cases you may even extract it by yourself. Of course, provided that the child is not afraid to get rid of his tooth in this way.
However, not all teeth are so mobile that they can be removed at home. It’s advisable to wait until it falls out on its own.
If the loose tooth has not fallen out for two weeks, then it is better to consult pediatric dentists. The dentist will be able to extract the tooth painlessly. Sometimes even anesthesia is not required, or it is enough to spread an anesthetic gel or spray on gums.
The baby tooth fell out and the permanent one is in no hurry to grow. When is it time to worry?
There are no critical deadlines. Sometimes you have to wait a long time for a permanent tooth to appear. A permanent tooth may not erupt at all if its bud isn’t formed. You can take a snapshot of the area where the tooth should appear to find this out.
If the tooth bud has formed and there is enough space in the jaw, be patient. If not, see your orthodontist. He will draw up a treatment plan for the future.
The milk tooth has not yet fallen out, but the permanent tooth is already growing. What should I do?
In this situation, a baby tooth should be removed by a dentist. Then ask your child to try to push the permanent tooth with his tongue in the right direction. You may lubricate your finger with vegetable oil and push the tooth in the desired direction with massaging movements. It is enough to devote a couple of minutes a day to this mini-massage.
Is it necessary to correct milk bite?
Certainly. Problems with bite during the period when a child has baby teeth can provoke pathologies when permanent teeth erupt. Practice shows that the earlier one starts to deal with this problem, the better the results will be in the distant future. Correction of an abnormal bite can be started when the child turns 5-6 years old and all 20 milk teeth erupted.
I am Amelia Grant, journalist, and blogger. I think that information is a great force that is able to change people’s lives for the better. That is why I feel a strong intention to share useful and important things about health self-care, wellness and other advice that may be helpful for people. Being an enthusiast of a healthy lifestyle that keeps improving my life, I wish the same for everyone.