A Parents’ Guide to the Tooth Fairy: written by Dr. Ryan Menezes over at Cinco Ranch Smiles & Braces on how to tell your child about it, creative ways to involve the tooth fairy in their oral health, what to do when they have a loose tooth, and more!
We all know the tale of the Tooth Fairy and likely, you’ve been gifted with some sort of small payment from her. Losing baby teeth is an eventful time for both the parent and the child. Here, we’ll discuss ways to get your kiddos to buy into the Tooth Fairy while taking ownership of their dental health at the same time.
The tooth Fairy next to a tooth, toothbrush and mouth wash. The tooth fairy leaves a reward in exchange for a tooth that has fallen out.
What to Do When Your Child Loses a Baby Tooth
Before any loose baby teeth are lost, reassure your children that losing baby teeth is a natural part of growing up and is typically not a painful process. Once a baby tooth falls out, the gums may bleed for a short period of time. Rinsing the mouth with water and applying gauze under firm pressure for a few minutes is usually enough to get the bleeding to stop. Once the hard part is over, you can move on to rewarding them with a visit from the Tooth Fairy!
Explaining the Tooth Fairy
Losing baby teeth is an extremely exciting process for children and incorporating the tooth fairy can make it even more fun. Before your child loses their first tooth, introduce them to the concept of the Tooth Fairy. Receiving a reward for a relatively scary concept will give them something to look forward to when the time comes. The age at which we reveal the Tooth Fairy’s true identity is different for each family and sometimes depends on if you have other children ranging in age. Explain to the older children that they should allow their siblings to enjoy visits from the Tooth Fairy as they did.
Incorporating the Tooth Fairy Into Dental Hygiene
It’s important to explain to children that their adult teeth will be with them for the remainder of their lifetime. A fun way to incorporate dental hygiene into the Tooth Fairy’s visit is to leave a small note with dental hygiene tips alongside their gift. This way, they’ll be rewarded for losing their tooth but also provided with an extra incentive to take care of their smile.
At Cinco Ranch Smiles & Braces, Dr. Ryan Menezes and Dr. Andrea Fernandes focus on educating our smaller patients on dental hygiene and making them excited to care for their smile. We recommend parents schedule biannual visits for their kids from as early as 6 months of age for preventive care and to avoid painful and expensive dental treatments down the road. Our team combines preventive and comprehensive treatments with a gentle approach to provide truly personalized dental care to the Katy community. Contact our office today to schedule your visit with our friendly team!
Thank you to the team at Cinco Ranch Smiles & Braces for contributing this informational blog!
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Dr. Andrea
Dr. Ryan