For most kids, baby teeth fall out on their own without any difficulties. However, sometimes teeth can become loose and partially release from the roots beneath while still staying in the mouth. In the past, parents would sometimes try to help by forcibly removing the tooth by tying dental floss around it and attaching the other end to a doorknob. They would then slam the door, which would yank out the tooth in one easy motion. If you went through this and your child now has a baby tooth that won't fully fall out, here are the reasons why you shouldn't put your kid through this.

Trauma

As you no doubt remember, this experience can be extremely traumatic for children. The fear alone can terrify your child, but it can also be a painful experience. When all of the roots of a tooth release naturally, the tooth simply falls out without causing any pain for your child. Unfortunately, if the tooth isn't ready yet and some of the roots are still attached, you will be forcibly ripping them apart to remove the tooth. This will hurt your child and potentially make them fearful of you or even the dentist.

Damage

The damage to your child's mouth doesn't just stop with the roots being damaged. In some instances, roots can hold on tightly enough that a fraction of the tooth breaks off and that's all that's removed when you slam the door. Sadly, this means that your child would need to visit the dentist's office to have the remainder of the tooth taken care of. This is a fairly invasive process considering that the tooth will probably release itself fully once it's ready to come out.

Alternative

If you're concerned that your child's tooth isn't releasing in a timely manner or it's hurting your child in some way, it's time to visit a dentist. Your dentist can perform an examination and X-ray to find out if something abnormal is going on. If it is, your dentist can safely extract the tooth with your child under local anesthesia to reduce any pain, and the procedure will be performed under sanitary conditions so no infection happens following the procedure, as can happen with forceful removal of a tooth with dental floss.

Yanking a tooth out with dental floss might have been good enough for your parents, but it doesn't mean you have to put your own child through it. You can always go to a pediatric dentistry clinic if you're concerned about your child's teeth. Seek help instead of trying to take matters into your own hands.