Unless your child loses a tooth due to blunt trauma (we hope not!), the time it takes for a tooth to become loose and then actually fall out is usually a few months. When a baby tooth first starts to get loose, your child might not even notice and is able to eat and chew with no complaint. However, as teeth get looser and looser, biting into harder objects—whole apples, corn on the cob, or carrots, for example, may produce mild, or even significant discomfort. This is generally the case for front teeth that get loose. When the baby molars get loose, chewing harder or crunchier foods may be more difficult, such as nuts, granola bars, or pretzels.
As the roots of the baby teeth start to resorb (or dissolve), the edges of the baby tooth root get pushed into the gums with repeated chewing and biting. For some children, this can cause localized discomfort. If your child experiences a toothache or soreness with loose baby teeth, the episodes of discomfort are primarily with eating. Try to have your child eat on the other side, and avoid hard, crunchy foods.
Some children will also complain that it hurts to brush loose baby teeth. To be more exact, it is not the tooth that hurts, but the gums surrounding the loose tooth. The localized discomfort associated with sore gums can be exacerbated due to heavy plaque and poor oral hygiene.
While it is tempting to avoid brushing in areas where teeth are loose, the best and fastest way to make the gums feel better is to brush routinely to remove plaque and bacteria that can cause gingivitis and gum infections. You don’t need to scrub hard. Be gentle, yet thorough.
If your child is still experiencing pain with loose baby teeth, it is okay to give over-the-counter pain medicine (such as Tylenol or Motrin) as a temporary relief.