Do you have a loose tooth that has been irritating you for weeks, but you're too afraid to pull it out? Do not be afraid! You can remove those annoying teeth without much difficulty. Using a few easy tricks, before you know it your teeth are already under the pillow waiting for the tooth fairy!
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Part 1 of 2: Extracting Tooth
Step 1. Wiggle your teeth with your tongue
The great thing about using your tongue to wiggle your teeth is that you can do it almost anywhere, no matter what. Try pushing your teeth back and forth, wiggling them from side to side, or even pulling them toward the center of your mouth; anything that can be done with your tongue without hurting your teeth is worth a try.
Step 2. Use your finger to move the teeth a little more
You can wiggle loose teeth every day, using clean fingers. This will help the teeth gradually fall out naturally. However, do not try to force the teeth to move.
Be sure to wash your hands well with soap and warm water before trying this method
Step 3. Try a bite of crunchy food
Another way to get rid of loose teeth is to simply enjoy the usual healthy snacks! Apples or pears are good choices, because of their tough skin and crunchy texture.
- If your teeth are very loose, it may be difficult to bite your food with them. However, biting with the other tooth and then chewing it can still help move the tooth.
- If the teeth are not very loose and you bite something too hard, there may be pain. Be careful until you know what it feels like to bite with those loose teeth.
Step 4. Brush your teeth
When the teeth are very loose, even a slight push can loosen them. Sometimes, brushing your teeth is just enough to get those teeth out (or make them even more wobbly). Brush your teeth as usual (at least twice a day), making sure to brush gently on loose teeth.
Step 5. Hold the teeth with gauze
You can jerk your teeth to help move them, even if they're not ready to fall out on their own, or if you don't want to pull them out. Using a small amount of sterile gauze and your finger, grasp the tooth and gently tug or rock the tooth.
- If you really want to pull the tooth out, you can use this method, twisting the tooth quickly as you jerk it. Gauze can also help absorb blood.
- You can also apply a small amount of oral anesthetic to the area of your teeth and gums before pulling it if you're worried that pulling it will cause pain.
Step 6. Try to wait
If your teeth don't seem to be coming off, they probably aren't quite ready to fall out yet, so be patient. If a loose tooth isn't painful, doesn't bother you, or doesn't get in the way of other teeth, you have no reason to worry about waiting.
Usually, baby teeth fall out in the order in which they first erupted, starting to fall out around age six or seven. However, teeth can fall out in a different order and at different times. Your dentist will examine your teeth and answer any questions you may have about missing teeth
Step 7. Don't force a tooth that won't come off
Generally, it's a bad idea to try to remove a tooth that's slightly loose, but isn't ready to fall out yet. Forcing a tooth to fall out can be painful and often results in profuse bleeding, and possible infection. If a tooth is forced out before the permanent teeth are ready to emerge behind it, problems can arise later in life, such as an uneven alignment of the teeth or a lack of space for the new tooth to emerge.
- Tricks to force the teeth out, such as by tying one end of the floss to the teeth and the other end to the doorknob, and then slamming the door, are not a good idea.
- If you accidentally removed a tooth before it was ready to fall out naturally, contact your dentist who can help ensure that the problem is addressed.
Step 8. When all else fails, visit the dentist
If your baby tooth is causing pain and it won't come out no matter what you seem to be doing, don't be afraid to seek help. Schedule an appointment with your dentist; Your dentist will be able to tell what's causing your tooth to not fall out normally and may even be able to remove it painlessly.
Part 2 of 2: Dealing with Teeth after Extraction
Step 1. Gargle after your teeth fall out
You can expect a little bleeding when you lose a tooth. Once the tooth has fallen out, you should try gargling with water or keep spitting it out several times until the water is no longer bloody and clear.
There's no need to be nervous if there seems to be a lot of blood. When the area of the tooth bleeds, the blood mixes with the saliva, which can make it appear that there is more blood than it really is
Step 2. Use gauze to treat the bleeding
Even if your teeth have loosened so much that they seem barely holding on, when they fall out they can bleed a little. Do not worry; this is very normal. If this happens to you, place a small ball of clean gauze in the hole where the tooth was to absorb the blood.
Bite the gauze to hold it in place for about 15 minutes. Often, the bleeding will stop sooner than this time. If the bleeding doesn't stop, call your dentist
Step 3. Take a small amount of an over-the-counter pain medication
If your mouth is a little dry after your teeth come out, you're not just waiting for the pain to go away. Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can make dry mouth feel better; just make sure to take the correct dose for your age and size according to the directions on the bottle.
- Ask an adult for help to take the medicine at the right dose.
- Children should not take aspirin, unless the doctor says otherwise.
Step 4. Use a cold compress to avoid swelling
Cooling the area where the tooth was extracted can also help relieve the pain you feel after losing your tooth. Place a few ice cubes in a plastic bag (or use a bag of frozen vegetables) and wrap the bag in cheesecloth. Hold this against the cheek at the location where your mouth hurts for about 15-20 minutes. Over time, the pain, swelling, and inflammation will gradually decrease.
You can also buy ready-to-use cold packs that are sold at many pharmacies. This compress works in the same way as a self-prepared compress
Step 5. Visit the dentist if the pain doesn't go away
Most teeth that fall out naturally do not cause long-term pain. However, sometimes when teeth fall out or fall out due to injury or dental disease, pain or decay can occur. Sometimes, more serious problems such as abscesses (“bubbles” filled with fluid caused by infection) can occur. If left untreated, this problem can make you sick, so be sure to see a dentist if the pain from tooth loss doesn't go away on its own.
