When it comes to extracting children's teeth, it's important to ensure that the procedure is as painless as possible. Fortunately, there are a few ways to make sure that your child's tooth extraction is a smooth and comfortable experience. The first step is to make sure that the area is properly numbed. Your dentist may use a local anesthetic or laughing gas to ensure that your child doesn't feel any pain during the procedure.
For a simple extraction, your dentist will likely use forceps to gently pull out the tooth. More complicated procedures may require nitrous oxide or general anesthesia. Your pediatric dentist can also perform a simple tooth extraction with just a local anesthetic. This procedure is quick and painless, and involves gently loosening the visible baby tooth and extracting it.
To help the process move faster, you can have your child move the tooth with his tongue or finger until it loosens enough for it to be pulled out without causing any pain. If your child is too scared to do this himself, you can pull out the tooth without causing any pain. You can also give your child something that isn't as easy to chew, such as an ear of corn or an apple or cucumber, which can help loosen the tooth. Baby teeth will eventually fall out on their own, but for children who are eager to receive a visit from the tooth fairy, pulling out a tooth at home may be appropriate in certain circumstances.
These are fairly routine procedures for young children, and a good pediatric dentist should be able to make the procedure easy and minimally painful.
