Wobbbly tooth - get it out quick or let nature take its course?

[HappyFace]

My 6 year old son has his first wobbly tooth. There is a new one coming up behind it. Our dentist said to enourage wobbling to get the tooth out as soon as possible so as not to impede the new tooth. Other dentists say to leave the tooth to fall out when it is ready. I'm confused. Any suggestions?

[Emz26]

I'm 27 now and my parents pulling my wobbly teeth out when I was a kid never did me any harm!

[Neilzulu1]

Let it come out itself. The next tooth will then come through in exactly the same position.

[annie0000]

Hi HappyFace - both my sons have had their new teeth grow in before the old ones came out - new tooth came in behind baby tooth and it become more wobbly as it was pushed forward rather than up. After the baby teeth came out, the new teeth moved forward and took their place. According to our dentist this is not usual but is not that uncommon. So I guess I am saying that I would let nature take its course (and the tooth fairy do her job). My boys took it as an excuse to play "shark boy". (2 layers of teeth!)

[Mammar]

I would ask your son what he wants you to do. It's his mouth!
I certainly shouldn't frighten him by pulling it out. Just let him have fun wiggling it himself.
And tell him about the Action Man who collects teeth from under your pillows and pays you for them. That should do it!

[meltoadhall]

if its hanging by a thread then i would pull it out, did that with our girls, but if its just wobbily then try apples, a toffee and that may get it out.
it will usually come out when its ready

[Mammar]

Did it pop out for a Mother's Day surprise? x x

[missrandom]

yeah, i do the same, if theyre REALLY wobbly I pull them, if it hurts I stop and try a few days later. if it doesnt hurt i keep pulling. Or just leave it, it doesnt matter either way really.

[grumpii]

tell him to push and wiggle it with his tongue and encorage him with tooth fairy money

[simsfreq]

I never once pulled a tooth out, just wobbled them until they fell out, and had no pain or blood at all. My dentist didn't seem to have a problem with it and I've never needed braces or anything. Sometimes they used to fall out in the night and once I swallowed one, but my dentist said that was okay as the stomach acid would corrode it enough not to harm me.

The only problem came when they were so wobbly I would insist on dribbling everywhere in case I knocked it - one night this happened when my mum was going out and she had to pin me down on the bed to pull it out. I screamed the house down but actually it didn't hurt at all.

The only ones I would say are best to pull out are the molars as my insistence to keep them in until they fell out basically meant they went rotten before they did fall out of their own accord which was not pleasant.