One of the nice things about parenthood is being able to see the things you may have experienced as a child from the other side. You might have memories from when you were a kid about losing your baby teeth—maybe how scary it felt, how excited you were, or how enchanted you were by the tooth fairy.
If you have a young child, now it’s your turn to ease those fears and instill that magic in them. Here are a few ways that you can do that.
Be Positive
First and foremost, your child will respond to the tone you take about their teeth. Whenever you talk about tooth loss, try not to scare them. Instead, celebrate it as a milestone, and emphasize that it’s a completely normal part of growing up.
You can expect your child to start losing teeth around the age of 4 or 5, so around then you should make sure that they’re prepared and know what to expect.
Make the Tooth Fairy Fun!
Part of alleviating your child’s fears is making the tooth fairy as fun and exciting as possible. This not only helps distract them from the strange feeling of a loose tooth, but it also helps them understand that what’s happening to them happens to every child.
If you don’t have the lightest touch, getting something out from your kids’ pillow may be difficult. If that’s the case for you, you can also work with your child to build a little container to hold their tooth. That serves to not only get your child invested but also to make your job as a parent much easier.
Make Sure Your Child Understands Tooth Loss
Kids love to talk, and your child may have heard some things about tooth loss from their peers that aren’t necessarily true. They may think that tooth loss is bound to be painful, that they may swallow their tooth, or that their tooth will be gone forever.
Your child may also be antsy to get rid of their baby tooth, and could try dangerous ways of pulling it out. Talk with your child and make sure that they understand the truth about tooth loss—that it’s natural, painless, and that they should wait for them to fall out on their own.
About Our Practice
At The Dental Specialists – Pediatric Dentistry, we know that getting your child to the dentist can be stressful, which is why we work hard to make it as easy as possible. Our experienced dental team knows just what it takes to put young patients, and their parents, at ease. No matter how complicated your child’s problems are, we’re confident in our ability to help them.
If you have any questions about tooth loss, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (972) 364-7472.