Does Anyone Know How to Pull Teeth?

[tatertot]

My son has a tooth that is fairly loose, and I'm desperate that it fall out before he goes off to the States for a week with his father on Tuesday morning. This is his first loose tooth, and I'll be damned if I miss out on the whole toothfairy business.

So far, I've tried giving him corn on the cob, apples, carrots and other hard, crunchy foods, but he refuses to eat them. He also refuses to wiggle the tooth or push it around with his tounge. I tried the tying it to a doorknob thing, but he ran when he saw me coming with the string.

Alternativly, does anyone know of a way to guarantee that the tooth stays in until May 30, when he gets back? Pathetic as it may sound, this is a really big deal to me, and I will cry if I'm not there when it happens.
Please help!!!

[D Marie]

My dad actually somehow convinced me to do the doorknob trick. I was smart enough to realize that the type of dentistry practiced in the cartoons might not be the best idea in real life, but I gave in. It was over quickly and didn't hurt, but my nerves were about shot, since I was sure it was going to hurt and/or pull out the rest of my teeth along with the loose one.

If your son won't eat something crunchy, how about sticky? A spoonful of peanut butter, or caramels, maybe? Not the best for your teeth under most circumstances, but he might like that better than the carrots, etc. Is the problem that he's scared it's going to hurt when it comes out?

[Fyodor]

I recall that, at that age, I used to enjoy slowly wobbling the loose teeth out by myself. I got a big kick out of the miracle of the tooth fairy's visits and I wanted those teeth out. I also remember that if it ain't ready, it ain't ready. There's not much pain if I could gently and slowly wobble the tooth out, breaking fine points of connective tissue with each wobble, but if the tooth isn't ready and is still well connected the pain factor escalated.

I suggest that you keep bugging the kid - "Show me! Show me! make it wobble! Look at it in the mirror!" he'll get into the spirit of the thing. Enpower the child! Let him make the big decision.

I think the tooth fairy is related to all those other fairies that used to kiss me when I was sleeping and left freckles (hickies?) where their lips touched me.

[tatertot]

I think that the big problem here is lack of motivation. Specifically, he doesn't care one speck if the tooth falls out or stays. I've tried talking up the toothfairy, big time, but he claims not to need money. Which is true, all he has to do is march down to Grandpa's office and read stuff off the computer and Grandpa & his co-workers load the kid up with money and candy. His net worth exceeds mine by a factor of ten!

He doesn't seem to be afraid of the pain; I think he was born without pain receptors. I told him that big boys lose their teeth, and he replied that he was already a big boy, in his heart. Peer pressure, cajoling, begging, bribing, none of these things work on this child. He does things when and if he wants to, and nothing I or anybody else says can change his mind. I've tried trickery too, but sadly (for me) he is much smarter than both of his parents and sees clearly through our little ruses.

(note: lest anybody think that I am a spineless wimp of a mother, I do make him do things that are important for his and other's health & comfort.)

The sticky food idea is a good one, but he right now he only eats cream cheese sandwiches, cheese pizza and macaroni and cheese. Notice a pattern? Not that that is all I serve; he just goes hungry or makes himself a sandwich if I serve something offensive like spaghetti. I am assuming that when he gets tired of these foods he will go back to eating like a person.

So, if this tooth is to fall out on time, it's going to be me that does it. Does anybody have any spare novocain and pliers?

[tatertot]

BTW, does anybody know how long an undisturbed tooth will take to fall off? AFAIK, it's been loose for 10 days. Can it hang on for nine more days? At this point, does it make sense to stop all attempts, in the hope that it can hang on for 9 more days?

(This is assuming of course, that bitch mother in law can find it in her cold stone of a heart to let me enjoy this milestone. That's a big if, remind me one day to tell ya'll the tale of how she tried to steal the spotlight on the day I gave birth. I wouldn't put it past her to take him to a dentist to get the tooth pulled, so that she can call me up and rub it in my face.)

[D Marie]

If he doesn't show interest in money, maybe the tooth fairy could leave something else that he really wants (a small toy? gift certificate to ice cream parlor?) This kind of departs from the traditional tooth fairy story, but he might get more excited about the loss of the tooth if he thinks he might get that Pokemon card he wants (or whatever).

I could see where you might not want to set this kind of precedent. But that's my only other idea

[Sentinel]

There's a little trick I learned some years back. You get a wash cloth and ask to examine the boys teeth to see if any others are loose, making appropriate comments about how the Tooth Fairy is going to have to fork up some major cash for the kid, and how big he is getting and how young you were when you lost some teeth.

Then you take your wash cloth wrapped fingers and examine a solid tooth or two, come to the loose one, grip it tightly and jerk it out. He will get a brief sting and there will be some blood, but not much and you make a big fuss over how good he was, how easily it came out, how BIG the tooth is and have him rinse his mouth out as you stand by complimenting him on his bravery.

He'll forgive you in about 15 minutes after some tears and then want to examine his tooth.

[D Marie]

Simulpost! I'd be surprised if it could hang in that long, unless it's not really that loose. Sounds like you aren't going to have too much luck with him letting you wiggle it to see how loose it is. OTOH, if he isn't interested in the whole process, he may not have spent as much time wiggling and playing with it as most kids do, and it might still be well-attached (as Al Zheimers is talking about).

I guess you could also take him to the dentist, rather than worrying that your mother-in-law will.

[tatertot]

I guess you could also take him to the dentist

::sound of me falling to the floor laughing::

We have to go to an Army dentist. I just made an appointment, one month ahead, for a screening to see if he needs to make an appointment. If that doesn't make sense to you, join the club.

I can't think of anything that he wants enough to make it be an acceptable bribe. That's the bad part about living 5 minutes away from my parents. I asked my father, the main offender, to please stop buying him so much stuff; and he gave me this big sob story about how he couldn't buy us kids so much stuff and he always felt bad about it and now is his chance to make up for it, yada, yada, yada.

Of course I told him, Hello? Am I not here, standing right in front of you? If anyone should be made up to, it's me, the one who had to grow up deprived (not that I think we did, mind ya). Baby needs a new pair of shoes!

Didn't work, I think he has a secret hankering for Pokemon. And you should see the Beanie Baby room in his house!

This is so sad...now I know how my husband felt all the times he missed out on something big. I know he's got something like 20 more teeth to lose, but this is the first...I've already got the little silver box and everthing. I had to beg the lady at the bank to sell me the gold dollar that she had put aside for herself, and now I'm just going to have to give it to my husband.

People, I need some pity here! Stat!

BTW, Sentinal, I'd try your idea, but I'm the kind of person that can actually, physically feel other's pain, and I'm afraid I'd pass out. Thanks, though!

[KP]

Not that I don't have sympathy for your plight, but I have
to tell you, tater, I admire the hell out of your kid. (Don't let him see this, we *do* have the Adult Conspiracy to maintain). Alas, kids like that are a real challenge. You can't just fly by conventional wisdom with them.

But oh the payoff!

[tatertot]

Yeah...I admire him, too. The kid's got backbone like you wouldn't believe, I figure if I can steer him in the right direction, he's going to do grand things with his life. He's the kid I always wanted to have, but I had no idea it would be this hard! I've already started kissing up to his kindergarten teacher, she has no idea what she's in for next year!

[SkeptiJess]

Tatertot, your son is like my daughter! She is now almost 13 and a more stubborn person never drew breath. Lots of benefits there -- smart, determined people almost always make successes out of their lives. However, they ARE hard to raise!

One thing you could try -- tell the kid that if he lets the tooth hang around TOO long, it will fall out while he is eating (even a cream cheese sandwich!) and he will swallow it. MAYBE that will convince him to let you 'help' it out. Mind you, this didn't work for Dori -- we had the "You're gonna swallow it" talk with EVERY tooth and she never let me touch one of them! Indeed she swallowed at least 2!

At any rate, I think there is an excellent chance that the tooth might hold out until the boy returns home. After all, he isn't going to be wiggling it any more at his Dad's house than he is at yours. Dori always kept a loose tooth in her mouth WAY longer than I ever expected it to hang on.

Finally, if he does lose the tooth at his Dad's, maybe it would make you feel a little better to take the high road. After all, by your own admission, your ex has missed out on many milestones. Maybe you'd feel better if you mentally 'gave' him this one. Send him the Gold dollar and wish him joy of the tooth fairy experience. Then, if you're really sincere about it, maybe you can convince him to send you the tooth (I presume from the silver box remark that you are planning to save them). Then at least you'd have the momento, and the knowledge that you rose above a disappointment.

Good luck! And let us know what happens, OK?

[tatertot]

I'm still married to his father, they are going to the States to see his brother graduate. We didn't have the money for 3 tickets, so I decided to stay behind since I'm going in August.

My husband is in the Army, so you can imagine how often he is home! I'm glad that he'll be there, it's just I had this pretty picture in my mind of the two of us tip-toeing into our son's room, carefully swapping tooth for money, and then just standing there, quietly admiring our growing child.

When Nicholas gets home, I will warn him about the swallowing. Who knows, it might work! Unless...he's heard the stories about getting double money for a swallowed tooth! I got five bucks that way once.

[Demo]

Ummm, is this thread giving anyone else the willies??? Tatertot, let the tooth come out on it's own! Please don't pull it! Just talk to your son and tell him to bring the tooth back home with him if it falls out while he is away. He seems coherent enough to do that. I understand that you want to experience this part of his growing up, but don't make it happen.

BTW, can I hang out with your son? He sounds totally cool!

[tatertot]

Democritus, you're right, I'm getting way too worked up about this. I'm feeling anxious about him going so far away, I'm not sure what I'll do this next week without him. He's ready to start separating from Mommy, I'm the one with issues!

BTW, can I hang out with your son? He sounds totally cool!

Why do I get this funny feeling that everyone likes Nicholas better than they like me...

[Demo]

Tatertot, I can sympathize. I have three kids, all of whom are away, living with their mom, so I miss out on a lot of those little steps. I get them via phone and e-mail, but it is no where near the same as living it. They'll be here for a month in July, so don't be surprised if I post something similar then!

I can see it now...

So, when do girls start their periods again???

(Mine are 5 and 7)

[Argeable]

Wel, having recently been in the loose tooth stage myself, I'd say don't worry- if he refuses to wiggle it or anything, it's not in any danger of falling out soon. If you're really worried, take him to a dentists for his opinion about when it'll fall out. Or, you could just have his father keep it in a baggy so you can do the tooth fairy thang together when they get back (I presume you are married...) So, pick yer poison, but I wouldn't be all that concernecd.

[tipiwoo]

okay. i can help (i think). my mom was a school nurse for 10 years or so, and I watched her pull dozens of teeth after school everyday. Here was her trick with the scared kids.(please note that she never pulled the tooth unless she really knew the kid wanted it out) She would say: "oh my goodness, you have a loose tooth? Can I see it?" then they would point to it- sometimes wiggle it, sometimes not. Then she would say, "can I just wiggle it and see how loose it is?" Most of the time the kids would let her since she would claim to only want to wiggle the tooth. then, she would grab a kleenex or two- telling the kids she just didn't want spit all over her hand. She would wiggle the tooth for a minute- then get a good grip (not letting the kid know of course)- and ever so quickly give the tooth a good yank. Usually the kid would give a little scream, but then my mom would stuff their mouth with gauze while she taped their tooth to a little piece of black construction paper. The kid usually thought it was really cool to have their tooth displayed for them. But- be careful- if the tooth isn't ready then it could hurt pretty badly. be sure and wiggle it first. if it will only wiggle in one direction- it's not ready. happy tooth hunting!

[dragonlady]

Let me start with Demo: You have plenty of time. Girls who "start" before 10-12 are few and far between. Usually between 12-14.

Tater Honey, take your mind off it> I GOT MY PUPPY!!!!
Now we can discuss the joys of puppyhood and let Nicholas' tooth go the way of all things. By the way, my loose teeth held on for weeks sometimes, my teacher sent me home with a note to remove the loose tooth several times. Now, I didn't start losing them until I was in second grade, so maybe that makes a difference.

And we don't like him better, we're just jealous cuz you got a COOL kid and we didn't!

[evilbeth]

tatertot--judging by what he eats, why don't you tell him that the tooth fairy has been known to leave rather large blocks of cheddar for the first tooth? Maybe some aged Romano?

[SkeptiJess]

Tater, I did misunderstand -- I thought you and your husband were separated or divorced. Given this new info, I'm changing my advice. I'm going with Democritus and Argeable -- if the kid loses the tooth on the trip, just have your husband save it and bring it home. Explain to your son beforehand that if he loses the tooth on vacation, his Daddy will save it for him and the Tooth Fairy will come to your house after they are home. BTW, my husband is in the Navy, so I understand the problems of separations. Good for you letting your 'men' go off without you. It'll help them bond and be a nice chance for your husband to experience the daily grind without you there as a buffer.

[OpalCat]

The secret to pulling teeth is to twist them. I was sort of an amateur dentist in elementary school... all the kids came to me when they had a loose tooth, because I could pull them quickly and painlessly. Just grab a Kleenex or paper towel, grab on, and twist like a bottle top. Pop! off comes the tooth.

[tatertot]

Opalcat, when you say "Pop! Off comes the tooth." do you mean it literally goes "Pop!", as in that sickening sound you get when something in your body breaks. Or do you mean "Pop" as in "Viola! Zee tooth, eet iz gone." ?

Right now, the tooth is pushed forward at about a 35 degree angle. It will only move backwards about 10 degrees. I don't no what these facts mean, just vaguely hoping that somewhere on this board there is an actual dentist who can tell me the precise moment when the tooth with fall.

Dragonlady, you're back! How was Vegas? Is the puppy doing well? Does it need any cute doggie hair accessories? BTW, remember that gameboy I needed delivered by today? It came!! The bad news is, I went looking to buy him an extra game to ship to his Grandma's, and they cost up to $50 I thought diapers were expensive!

Jess, thanks so much for your support. I'm glad that my two guys are going to get to bond...it's just kind of scary because this is sort of a reconcilliation trip for my husband and his parents. I have no idea how it will work out, and I'm hoping that there is no ugliness. When we moved from Memphis, my mother in law refused to come tell Nicholas goodbye because she was mad at me & hubby; I really, really hope things have changed since then.

[Demo]

Let me start with Demo: You have plenty of time. Girls who "start" before 10-12 are few and far between. Usually between 12-14.

See, I just knew someone was going to think I was serious... Never overestimate the power of .

Thanks though.

[OpalCat]

Opalcat, when you say "Pop! Off comes the tooth." do you mean it literally goes "Pop!", as in that sickening sound you get when something in your body breaks. Or do you mean "Pop" as in "Viola! Zee tooth, eet iz gone." ?

Actually it's more like the sound of breaking a small piece of celery. Doesn't hurt though, if you do it fast. Don't pull down while twisting, it will just ruin your grip. Twist, THEN pull. Should come right off.

[TwistofFate]

Here's one way that my father had done to him.

The usual string around the tooth job, but my father was smart enough to move with the door. His father then picked up a glowing ember with the tongs and feigned a jab to my fathers face with it.



my father jumped about 10 feet backwards.

the tooth departed company at about 3.

[tatertot]

The usual string around the tooth job, but my father was smart enough to move with the door. His father then picked up a glowing ember with the tongs and feigned a jab to my fathers face with it.

Oh my god! How evil! Too bad I don't have a fireplace...

Well, Nicholas left this morning, tooth still in place. I tested the tooth one last time last night, and it didn't seem quite ready. Now it's up to us to all do our Doper best to will the tooth to stay in for another week.

Okay, slightly related rant time. You want to know why my kid isn't interested in the tooth fairies dollar? I'll tell you why, it's all my dear father's fault. Last night he calls me and says he's going to stop by after work to give Nicholas a little money for his trip. I'm thinking he means 20, maybe 40 dollars, just enough to buy a game at the mall or something. Nooooo. He comes over and first counts $100 into Nicholas right hand, which is way too much, then he counts another $100 into his left hand. I just about had a cow! Who gives a not quite five year old $200 for spending money?? It's not even his birthday! I don't know if I'm more sickened or jealous. I think I'm going to have to have a long talk with Dad sometime soon.

[Rilchiam]

Jeez! What's your dad going to give Nicholas for his confirmation or bar mitzvah?

My mom's theory about the tooth-string-door exercise was that the tooth actually comes out during all the fooling around tying the string to it. I'm amazed to hear that people have successfully tied a string to a tooth, especially knowing how small a baby tooth is.

[mega the roo]

This thread is making me wish I still had teeth to lose.

Why? I'm not sure.

[tatertot]

The husband called me last night at 2:00am to let me know that they arrived safely, and that Nicholas's tooth fell out somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. It's worse, it didn't just fall out, Nicholas asked his father to pull it because it was bothering him while he was playing gameboy.

I have decided to hold a grudge against Democritus, since he is the one who convinced me to let it fall out on it's own. Finally, I have an enemy!

Rilchiam, at this rate, he's going to have to buy him a Ferrari when he gets his learner's permit. There is something very disturbing hearing a four year old shouting "I've got 200 smackeroos, I'm rich, I'm rich"

Mega, I sometimes wish that, too. I think ages 5-8 are probably the happiest in a person's life; you have zero responsibility but you're old enough to do cool things like play Atari.

[TwistofFate]

Tatertot,
Is your father looking for a long lost son, who just happens to be me?