Losing your first tooth is one of the first milestones to becoming a “big kid.” There are lots of ways parents can make this a fun and exciting time – and use it as a great reminder for keeping up with oral care.
In the popular parents blog “Fireflies & Mud Pies,” blogger Melissa Lennig shares some great tips for making the most of that first wiggly tooth.
Be Ready for Loose Teeth
At age five or six, children will start to loose their baby teeth. (You can talk to your dentist if you are concerned about the timing.) Baby-tooth loss will likely occur in a “first-in, first-out” fashion, where the first teeth that grew in (usually the front teeth) will be the first to fall out.
Be prepared for this, and questions for your little one. Talk to your dentist about any concerns you have, and make sure you have all your activities in place.
- Be ready for questions & anxieties
- Watch out for hard foods, like apples
- Stress good dental hygiene
- Give your child’s loose tooth a nickname
- There might be blood when the tooth falls out. Be ready, and reassure your child.
- A slight spray through the tooth hole when your child talks is normal. Just have him back up a bit. 🙂
- If your child experiences pain when the new tooth is coming in, talk to your dentist.
- Decide what traditions you will follow (if any), and have everything in place.
- Take plenty of pictures of that toothless grin!
Loose Tooth Traditions
So what kinds of things can you do with your soon-to-be big kid to celebrate their latest milestone? Lennig suggests The Tooth Fairy or a fun Tooth Box craft. You can also find great books at your local library, both fiction and non-fiction, to celebrate the momentous occasion.