Article: well. Before you touch the tooth with your fingers, make sure you wash your hands really well. Use antibacterial soap and warm water to scrub your hands. Remove all dirt, bacteria, and germs on your hands. This will ensure they do not get into your mouth or onto the tooth when you touch it.  You can also wash your hands with hand sanitizer if you do not have access to running water. The hand sanitizer should contain alcohol and be antibacterial. If your child is trying to loosen their tooth, make sure they wash their hands well. You may wash their hands for them to make sure they are clean. Use your pointer finger to gently wiggle the tooth in the socket. Do not twist the tooth or push it from side to side as this can cause pain and damage the gum area.  Instruct your child on how to do this so they do not damage the tooth or their gums. Baby teeth that are fully erupted by the age of three should wiggle around fairly easily. Teeth that are not ready to come out may not move around much when you try to wiggle them. Notice if you feel pain when you wiggle the tooth around. If you feel any sharp pain when you move the tooth, it is likely not ready to come out. Let the tooth sit in your mouth until you can wiggle it without any pain. Only then should you try to loosen it more or remove it. Another way you can remove the tooth is to brush your tooth with a toothbrush. Use the wet toothbrush to gently wiggle at the tooth. Do not rub the tooth hard or scrape at it with the toothbrush. If the tooth feels loose when you brush it and you don't feel any pain, it may be ready to come out. Otherwise, you may want to leave it alone until it falls out on its own. If the tooth falls out on its own, it should not bleed much. Rinse your mouth out with water to remove any blood in the socket. If the tooth is knocked out or wiggled out, it may bleed more. You may need to bite down on a piece of clean gauze or a towel to soak up the blood. It can take up to an hour for the bleeding to stop.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Wash your hands Wiggle the tooth with your finger. Check if there is pain when you wiggle the tooth. Brush the tooth to loosen it. Rinse your mouth if the tooth falls out.