How to Ease Your Child’s Fears About Losing a Tooth

Losing a first tooth is a rite of passage for every young child, but it can also produce some anxiety. While your child may have visions of the tooth fairy dancing in his head, there may also be some underlying fear over how and when the tooth will come out. Here are some tips on how to ease your child’s fears about losing a tooth.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A child with a loose tooth
• Books about losing a tooth
• A trip to the dentist
• Sterile gauze or a clean towel
• Patience ( losing a tooth can take months)

1. Take a trip to the dentist. Semi-annual trips to the dentist will accustom your child to good dental hygiene and caring for their teeth. The dentist can also tell your child if any teeth feel a little loose. It can take months for a loose tooth to come out, so ask your dentist to gauge how loose the tooth is.
2. Read a book. If your child already has a loose tooth and is anxious about it, try reading a book about losing a tooth. Some popular books include “Arthur’s Tooth” by Marc Brown, “Little Bear’s Loose Tooth” by Else Holmelund Minarik and “Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder” by Barbara Park. Reading about familiar characters losing a tooth may help to ease your child’s fear.
3. Explain that it may bleed...a little. Most children are afraid of blood, and your child may already know that there may be some bleeding once her tooth falls out. It’s best to prepare your child for this, but assure her that it will only bleed for a short time--usually only a few seconds--and that the bleeding will not hurt. Explain that you will have sterile gauze on hand to apply pressure to the bleeding area, and that the bleeding will subside quickly.
4. Talk to your child’s friends. If your child has “experienced” friends who have already lost a tooth, have a conversation with them in front of your child. Most kids have happy and exciting stories about losing their teeth. Some kids will have funny stories. And most will tell your child about all the loot they got from the tooth fairy after it was all said and done.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't try to pull your child's tooth out before it is ready. It should be VERY loose before you try pulling it.