As an adult, the concept of a child losing baby teeth may not seem like a big deal. After all, you may recall losing your own teeth over the course of several years in your childhood. However, for a young child who has never lost a tooth, this can be an unnerving and stressful experience. The uncertainty may even be accompanied by mild pain that the child is not accustomed to. When you see this experience through the eyes of a child, you understandably want to take reasonable steps to make this experience easier for your child to handle.
Read a Few Children’s Books
Many children’s books have been written on this subject. As you child approaches the typical age for losing teeth or at the first sign of a wiggly tooth, consider investing in a few books or borrowing some books from the local library. These stories may help your children to feel more comfortable with the experience and can set reasonable expectations. When you take away the uncertainty and foreignness of this experience, your child may feel less anxious about it.
Talk about the Tooth Fairy
In many homes, the Tooth Fairy visits children’s rooms at night after they have lost a tooth. In exchange for a tooth that is placed under their pillow, the Tooth Fairy may leave behind a small amount of money or a special prize. This can be as magical for a child as his or her experience with the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus or other figures. For some children, it may partially or completely eliminate fear and make losing baby teeth an exciting experience.
Visit the Dentist
If your child has not already visited a dentist for a well-check, this may be a good time to begin this practice. A good pediatric or family dentist may have experience alleviating a child’s concerns about sitting in the dental chair and about losing teeth. Because the approach that the dentist takes can impact your child’s overall feelings about the dentist as well as about losing teeth, ensure that you select a reputable dentist who has a good chairside manner with children.
Losing baby teeth is an essential part of growing up, and it is an experience that will be repeated many times over the course of the next few years. After your child loses a few baby teeth, any anxiety associated with this experience may be alleviated. These tips can help you to make the loss of those initial few baby teeth more manageable.
