How To

How to Pull a Tooth

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(9 Ratings)

Losing a tooth for a child can be an exciting time in their life. While as their parent, you may hesitate to pull their tooth for fear of hurting them, there are several ways to pull a tooth that minimizes the pain.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Wait until the tooth is loose enough to pull. Pulling a tooth before it's ready will take several tries and will involve lots of screaming and crying from your child. Have your child wiggle the tooth with their tongue several times over the course of two or three days to loosen it up.

  2. Step 2

    Numb the area before you pull the tooth. You can have your child suck on an ice cube or a popsicle to help numb their mouth. You can also give them some infant numbing gel, for teething infants to numb their gum area around the loose tooth.

  3. Step 3

    Hold the loose tooth with your thumb and index finger. Place your index finger on the inside of the tooth and your thumb on the outside. Quickly twist and pull the tooth until the last root is loosened and it pops out.

  4. Step 4

    Stop the bleeding quickly by placing a cold washcloth on the open gum area. Once the bleeding has slowed down, give your child another popsicle or small cup of ice cream to help soothe any pain.

  5. Step 5

    Place the tooth in a small plastic bag and put it under their pillow for the Tooth Fairy to come take it away while they sleep at night.

Tips & Warnings
  • Don't tie a string around your child's tooth and the other end to a doorknob or heavy object. If the string is too loose, it will come off leaving your attempt unsuccessful. However, if it's tied tightly and you slam the door or drop a heavy object you can risk injuring your child by jerking their head or neck too quickly.

Comments  

tktech said

Flag This Comment

on 11/29/2008 This was a very helpful article. Great tips!

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eHow Article: How to Pull a Tooth

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