A wobbly or shaky tooth in a child is most commonly seen when the child is losing his/her baby teeth or primary teeth to get permanent/adult teeth in the mouth or due to an injury.
A study conducted in the year 2020 at a children’s hospital in Adelaide confirmed that traumatic dental injuries were frequent in children under 5 years and the most common reason for that was a fall.
Baby teeth or primary teeth start erupting at around 6 months of age.
However, recent studies have shed light on the following factors that could delay the eruption of baby teeth in your child’s mouth:
● Increased period of breastfeeding,
● The time interval between solely breastfeeding/formula feeding and the introduction of semi-solid foods
● Low birth weight
Conversely, some kids lose their baby teeth much earlier. A few common causes of early loss of baby teeth are as follows:
● An injury to the mouth or face
● Baby bottle decay
● An underlying medical condition
● Certain gum diseases
At the best dental clinic in Canberra, your kind dental surgeon understands the challenges and apprehensions parents face in raising a child. Additionally, conflicting data available on the internet can be mind-boggling. Hence your favourite Canberra dentist at Molonglo Dental Surgery recommends your child’s first dental visit within 6 months of the appearance of the first tooth and at least twice a year thereafter. (unless advised otherwise)
What must you do if your child has a wobbly baby tooth?
A loose tooth, pain, bleeding and a bawling child- are reasons enough for parents to panic and feel a little over the edge.
At Molonglo Dental Surgery, your friendly Canberra dentist empathizes with her patients’ predicament advises the following to manage the tooth:
Wobbly baby tooth due to erupting adult teeth
1) This is a good time to share the concept of the Tooth Fairy. An episode of Peppa Pig shares Peppa’s experience of the same.
2) A wobbly baby tooth can take a few days or a few months to fall out. If the entire tooth has come loose, barring a small part, gently wiggling it out is advised.
3) Encourage to eat hard n chewy food to baby teeth to be shed quickly
However, your skilful dental surgeon at the best dental clinic in Canberra, strongly advises against pulling out a baby tooth that isn’t too shaky. Premature removal of a baby tooth is most likely to cause immense bleeding, pain and dental infection. In order to gain an insight, we recommend a check up to ensure that the wobbly tooth won’t leave bits of it in the bone and the adult tooth under it is safe from infection, kindly call us on 0262871222.
Additionally,
● Substantial pain in the area of the shaky baby tooth
● Swelling in the gums
● Cessation of eating and brushing due to discomfort
Are supplementary reasons to delay pulling out your child’s tooth.
If the tooth falls out or you wiggle it out gently, the following tips will help you manage this life-changing event:
1) Your child may begin shrieking at the sight of blood. Try and calm your child. A little bleeding after the loss of a tooth isn’t worrisome.Your child can gently rinse their mouth with warm water. Cleaning the area of the lost tooth, with a damp and warm washcloth may help as well.
However, if the bleeding doesn’t stop after a while, a visit to your after-hours dentist/Emergency Department is recommended.
2)Once the bleeding has stopped, encourage your child to brush under supervision. Once the child understands that he/she has to avoid brushing vigorously on the wound, an unsupervised brushing routine may be permitted.
When Should you contact a dentist regarding a loose baby tooth?
You should seek a consultation with your favourite Canberra dentist if your child experiences any of the following:
a) Worse(than usual) pain during the teething process (In case of children who have lost more than one tooth)
b) Teeth become loose before the age of five years
c) Brushing or eating becomes problematic
d) Excess plaque around the tooth
e) The baby tooth that was loose, has become firm again
f) You see the adult tooth coming in, but the baby tooth is not loose.
g) Pain in the jaw on opening or closing the mouth
h) difficulty in swallowing or breathing
If a child’s tooth is loose or the mouth is sore, a soft diet is recommended for several days. Sucking on a pacifier or a finger should be restricted until pain subsides.
A toddler’s goal is complete independence.Hence as parents we must expect numerous tantrums, sobs and falls. However adopting a few household changes, can prevent your child from losing his/her baby teeth before the shedding period:
1) Teaching the importance of oral hygiene
2) Avoiding sugary drinks and food in excess
3) Childproofing your home
4) Closing off staircases
5) Teaching your child to avoid walking/running with toys, lollipops or any hard objects in his/her mouth.
As rightly said, “ It takes a community to raise a child.” At Molonglo Dental Surgery your kind Canberra dentist and her efficient team will do everything necessary to ensure that your child has a problem-free dental and overall development. Maintaining your child’s routine dental checkups and oral hygiene appointments to monitor their growth and dental condition should suffice in predicting any crucial health troubles.
