My child's tooth is loose. Should I have it taken out by a dentist?

Baby teeth naturally fall out when the permanent tooth is about to come out. In most cases, it is perfectly fine to let nature take its course and have the child remove it themselves.

Children are so happy when they successfully remove their own teeth!

Losing teeth is a great life event for kids and I remember when I lost my teeth as a child. There was such a big sense of achievement when I removed my own tooth! It is one event where your child can develop more responsibility for themselves.

There are times when it is better to have it professionally removed by a dentist.

Here are some reasons:

• The tooth is causing discomfort to the child
• The tooth is infected
• The tooth is badly decayed
• Removal of the tooth will help the eruption of the permanent tooth
• The tooth is still present when the permanent tooth has erupted significantly

You may prefer a dentist performing the removal so you do not need to do it at home yourselves. This is a valid reason and your dentist should be happy to remove it for you if it is loose. It is more comfortable for the child, when anaesthetic is used to extract the tooth.