What To Expect From A Baby Tooth Extraction

Life becomes one big learning curve once you have children. No longer are you responsible for just your health; now you are responsible for your child's health and dental needs, too. Baby teeth are an interesting part of growing up. The initial set of teeth only lasts for the childhood years, and from the age of seven, they fall out to be replaced by permanent adult teeth. Questions are often raised with dentists about the need to interfere with damaged baby teeth since they will fall out anyway. As a parent who has been advised their child needs a baby tooth removed, you are asking this question yourself. Here are two factors you need to know about the why and how of baby tooth extraction.

Why Remove A Baby Tooth

When a dentist recommends the removal of a baby tooth, it is not a decision which is made lightly. There are three main reasons why baby tooth extraction is recommended:

• The tooth is badly damaged by decay and is beyond being fixed with a filling. The tooth is removed to prevent the decay from spreading to neighbouring teeth.
• Your child needs to be fitted for braces, so some teeth are removed to allow others to move into their correct spaces.
• The permanent tooth is intruding onto the baby tooth, so the baby tooth must be removed to allow the adult tooth to grow in properly.

Not removing the baby tooth in any of these three circumstances could lead to the damage of other teeth, so it is not a recommendation to be ignored.

How Is A Baby Tooth Removed?

The removal of the baby tooth can be done under local anesthetic if the tooth has already erupted into the mouth. Once the tooth is visible, the dentist has a solid object they can remove using a set of forceps. The gum is numbed around the tooth, so your child will not feel any pain during the process. After-treatment pain is managed using over-the-counter painkillers. If the tooth has not yet erupted through the jawline, then the tooth is removed surgically. This is a more complex process as the skin over the jaw needs to be cut to reach the tooth beneath. Your dentist will discuss anesthesia and pain management options with you if surgical intervention is required.

Now that you know the how why your child has been recommended for a baby tooth extraction, make a follow-up appointment with your dentist to get the process underway. The longer it is delayed, the more potential there is for dental complications with other teeth.

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