Loose tooth - UPDATED! | Autism PDD
My son had a loose tooth that hung there looking ugly and crooked for *months*. When he finally let me test it, I discovered that it actually wasn't as loose as it looked.
Ultimately, it started to bother him, and he decided on his own that it was time that I pull it out. I took a kleenex and quickly pulled with a twisting motion. Frankly, I'm surprised that I had the stomach for it....
If the tooth fairy makes him uneasy, I would explain to him that it's a game. When my son was in first grade and telling the difference between fantasy and reality was on his IEP, I felt compelled to be honest with him about the tooth fairy. So we've called it the Tooth Fairy Game ever since. It works well for us, and he enjoys the ritual.
One thing you might try is using some Numzit or Baby Orajel or whatever it's called to numb the gums before you try and pull it.
Here's another topic on our forum about loose teeth:
http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14089&am p;KW=have+not+been+on+for+a+while
Good luck with everything.
P.S. Here's a social story about loose teeth (I lost the link):
I am Molly. I am almost 6. I am getting bigger! When people get bigger, some things change.
I get taller. I gain weight, and sometimes, I lose a tooth!
Its okay to lose a tooth. It feels funny, but once it falls out, a newer, bigger one will grow in, and I will have it until Im as old as mommy and daddy!
Its okay to wiggle and touch the loose tooth with my tongue. If I wash my hands, I can touch it with my finger to see if its ready to come out!
When it comes out, I put it in a safe place, like a cup or a tissue, then I show mom and dad!
I can draw a picture of me with my new smile!
I know it's a little late, but there's a GREAT book called "Andrew's Loose
Tooth" by Robert Munsch. It's a good little social story about losing a tooth,
with wonderful illustrations, and lots of repetitive language. Donny LOVED
it, and scripted it for months. Might be good for a kiddo who's nervous
about losing teeth
snoopywoman:
heh, well... i kept complaining, their solution: pull it out myself! I refused, kept complaining about the discomfort and occasional pain when eating. Finally they said its time, got me over the sink, and made me pull out my first 1, top left!!
I dont know how to tell ya if their is a different way, im not a parent and I suppose that was how they did it back in the 80's??!! heh?!
Maby their is a differnt way, and i hope a parent could chim in, i must admit, well... when i even think about it i cant stand it, heh, the blood and pain, but i suppose once it was over it was worth it, tooth fairy, attention and no more pain and discomfort.
Woodsman - well, I guess I was asking what I could do from your perspective to make it easier on my child. If you can remember - was there something you would have liked your parents to have done differently?
My son has already lost two - it was about eight months ago though. For some reason, he is saying he doesn't WANT the Tooth Fairy to come - he doesn't want her to take his teeth! And also he doesn't want her to wake him up...
I even went and got a special "Tooth Fairy" pillow for him to stick the tooth into and that he can put by his bed so the tooth fairy doesn't wake him up (this will make it much easier for me, by the way!). There was a book that comes with it, which I haven't read. The pillow and book look a little girly, but ds doesn't usually have problems with that and I also figured it will work for my little girl as well. Got them at a garage sale brand-new for total - so thought it was worth a try!
Any other thoughts as to what to do?
OH YEAH. T lost two late last spring and it was a huge trauma! I ended up holding her down and pulling them. But she got over it, because of ALL the attention she got afterward from kids and teachers, etc.!Okay, I saw someone had the opposite problem of my ds, so I thought I'd start my own thread. My ds has had a semi-loose tooth for almost 3 months now. He does NOT want us to pull it out. He has already lost 2 - which were both painless. The first we have no idea where it went - I just looked at lunch one day and it was gone! He was only 5 1/2 and so I wasn't expecting that at so early of an age, particularly since he typically got teeth late.
Anyway, this is his top front tooth and it is kind of twisted so it looks a little funny - not bad, but I would really like to get it out of there. It's not totally loose, but I'm pretty sure the adult tooth is trying to push through.
Woodsman - was there anything your mom or dad could have done to explain this to you or make it better? I don't want to traumatize my son but I also think that tooth needs to come out! He will wiggle it, but only if I remind him to (which I'm now trying to remind him DAILY!).
Any thoughts would be great!
Well, the tooth is out! Today, ds woke up with it just dangling by a thread (it seemed). We encouraged him to work at it some more. On the way home from swim lessons, he was playing with it with his tongue and it popped out and ended up on the floor! So, we put it in a baggie and wrote a letter to the Tooth Fairy.
He doesn't want the Tooth Fairy to take it as he wants to keep it. He wants to bring it to "share time" when it is the week they are learning about the letter "T" as they are to bring something each week that starts with the letter they are learning. I am hoping he has forgotten about this by the time they get there (don't know when that will be).
Anyway, he worked really hard on the letter - his handwriting has improved SOOOO much since school has started. The OT last year told me it would since he gets so much practice. But, what probably would have taken about half an hour took about 5 minutes tonight!
His adult tooth is already partially in, so there was some bleeding when the baby tooth came out - but that didn't freak him out at all.
This is his third tooth to come out - and I noticed today that the other top front tooth is loose now!
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