I don;t pull teeth

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Yet teachers are constantly sending kids down to have their loose teeth pulled out. It would be one thing if it were hanging by a string and it took zero effort to get out, but even then I am hesitant. The kid that just left my office had a tooth that was barely wiggly and her teacher sent her down to me to pull it.

Specializes in Telemetry, Gastroenterology, School Nrs.

Nope, I don't either. The thing is, I didn't even pull my own kids' teeth. Honestly, I think it's gross :D but at the end of the day, I'm a nurse, not a dentist/tech and I'm not doing it.

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Whaaaaatttt??? One of my most favorite things to do! Crap am I gonna get into trouble?

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Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.
40 minutes ago, nursmimi said:

Whaaaaatttt??? One of my most favorite things to do! Crap am I gonna get into trouble?

ME too! But I only pull if its hanging by a thread. Because otherwise the kid will come back 85 times until its out!

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My answer is “no”. I do not pull teeth.

end of story

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Specializes in Lie detection.

Nope. Really they don't need to come to me at all with a tooth out either. But the teachers always send them, I give out a little baggie that looks like a drug bag. I write "tooth" on it so no angry parents calling lol.

Bags were donated so I will use them and the kids like them a lot. But no pulling teeth here!

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
20 hours ago, nursmimi said:

Whaaaaatttt??? One of my most favorite things to do! Crap am I gonna get into trouble?

Hey- if you can justify it in your nursing practice...it's OK. There have been nurses in the past who've had issues with their state's BON. I am thinking of one in Oklahoma who got into hot water with the Board of Dentistry. Google Oklahoma tooth fairy nurse and see....

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I don't pull teeth, but I will instruct the kid how to pull it - haha!

Also, I don't wrap anything (ankle, wrist, etc) without a doctor's note. The kids LOVE to get things "wrapped," I think because there is an overzealous athletic trainer that loves that training tape that has indoctrinated them into believing everything should be taped/wrapped. Not in my office ?

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1 hour ago, ruby_jane said:

Hey- if you can justify it in your nursing practice...it's OK. There have been nurses in the past who've had issues with their state's BON. I am thinking of one in Oklahoma who got into hot water with the Board of Dentistry. Google Oklahoma tooth fairy nurse and see....

HOLY MOLY! That is crazy! Poor nurse! And parents wonder why we say no to seemingly simple things...

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Specializes in School health, Maternal-Newborn.

I don't pull teeth, I'll give them some guaze and they can work on it, otherwise NOPE!

I also don't wrap wrists or ankles, knees or elbows. If I know they've been to the doctor and this is just a rewrap I might. HOWEVER I had one kid lie about having been to the doctor. I called home to ask and the parent was...confused and then irritated. Being a sub I have no idea how that played out.

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oh boy< I would be worried some child's parent was going to show up and rip me a new one for pulling the tooth...

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On 4/3/2019 at 9:58 AM, jnemartin said:

I don't pull teeth, but I will instruct the kid how to pull it - haha!

Also, I don't wrap anything (ankle, wrist, etc) without a doctor's note. The kids LOVE to get things "wrapped," I think because there is an overzealous athletic trainer that loves that training tape that has indoctrinated them into believing everything should be taped/wrapped. Not in my office ?

YOU.ARE.MY.SOUL.SISTER!!

1. If it is bad enough that it needs any sort of support - needs to be further evaluated.

2. If you wrap something, they will be back 4 times that same day because it is too tight, too loose, too itchy, fell off, was stolen, lost, got dirty. Well, you get the picture.

3. Parents will see wrap and decide their services are not needed. Thus....

4. They show up the next day and step 2 happens all over again.

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3 minutes ago, EnoughWithTheIce said:

YOU.ARE.MY.SOUL.SISTER!!

1. If it is bad enough that it needs any sort of support - needs to be further evaluated.

2. If you wrap something, they will be back 4 times that same day because it is too tight, too loose, too itchy, fell off, was stolen, lost, got dirty. Well, you get the picture.

3. Parents will see wrap and decide their services are not needed. Thus....

4. They show up the next day and step 2 happens all over again.

Girl, I hear you. I learned REAL quick that there will be no wrapping in my office. To be honest, at first I was a bit conflicted on if it would even be within my scope of practice to wrap an injured limb/joint without an MD eval (this is my first year as SN, coming from acute care). Then I remembered RICE from nursing school and realized that it's totally within my scope. But for MY PRACTICE, in the school setting, if something is hurting/injured that badly that a kid thinks they need a supportive wrap, they need to get a diagnostic and MD eval before I'm touching it... just like I would have done in the hospital.

Mostly, I think they kids think it is cool/looks cool and will also allow them to use the elevator if they have evidence of their injury. I'm not about that.

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