Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about baby tooth extraction

Q: When do children start replacing baby teeth?

A: Children start replacing their first baby teeth around 6-7 years old. Different teeth will have different replacement times:

• Two middle incisors: from 6-7 years old
• Two lateral incisors: from 7-8 years old
• Two canines: from 9-12 years old
• The first two molars: from 9-11 years old
• Two innermost molars: from 10-12 years old

This is the usual time, however, there will be children who change their teeth earlier or later, parents do not need to worry too much if they see their children changing teeth a little earlier or later than other children.

Q: When do children need to have baby teeth removed?

A: As a rule of nature, baby teeth will shake and fall out on their own when permanent teeth begin to erupt. However, this is not always the case. In many cases, baby teeth are still firm but permanent teeth have erupted, or permanent teeth have erupted completely out of place of baby teeth. At this time, tooth extraction intervention is necessary.

Q: Should children have their teeth extracted at home?

A: With some baby teeth wobbling and falling out on their own according to the laws of nature, without much intervention or impact, you can help your baby shake to “uproot” the teeth. But in cases where baby teeth do not or very little wiggle while permanent teeth have erupted (aka spare teeth), home tooth extraction is relatively difficult and ineffective, you should visit your dentist for assistance. In addition, when taking the baby to the clinic, the doctor can simultaneously examine the eruption of permanent teeth (in the right sequence, there is enough room on the jawbone for teeth to grow, new teeth have signs of pathology, are there any abnormalities …). If you have a tooth extraction at home, parents can skip the golden time to intervene to correct the deviations of permanent teeth at an early stage.

Q: Does baby tooth extraction require anesthesia?

A: Basically, for children who are used to dentists and dental dental treatment, removing baby teeth is relatively easy. The doctor only needs to apply numbness with less legs or more wobbly teeth. With strong roots, the doctor will resort to anesthesia injections so that the child does not have pain during tooth extraction. For babies who are too shy or unable to cooperate with the doctor after multiple visits, they may need to be admitted to the hospital for anesthesia.

Q: After tooth extraction, can children eat normally?

A: After tooth extraction, you need to give your baby a tight bite of gauze, wait about 15 minutes to check for bleeding. If there is nothing abnormal, after changing the gauze about 30′ to 1h, the baby can eat and drink normally.