It is important to know what to do if your child chips, cracks, or knocks out a tooth. No matter how small a dental injury may seem your child will need to be seen by a dentist to make sure there are no additional damages or injuries to the mouth teeth and jaw.
Steps To Follow If A Tooth Is Chipped or Broken
Most dental injuries in preschool and school-age kids happen from falls, while dental injuries in teens are often sports-related.
- Apply pressure to the area (if it’s bleeding) with a piece of cold, wet gauze. If your child is old enough to follow directions, ask him or her to bite down on the gauze.
- See if your dentist’s office is open and go to the dentist right away.
- Have the child rinse their mouth with water and if there are fragments of the tooth bring them with you to the dentist.
What If a Tooth is Knocked Out?
Find the tooth. Call a dentist immediately. More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year among children and adults. Dentists refer to a knocked-out tooth as an “avulsed” tooth. If your child loses a tooth due to an accident or injury, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s lost for good if it is a permanent tooth. Taking the right action and getting proper emergency care can save the tooth so that it can be replanted successfully and last for years to come. However, if it is a baby tooth it cannot be replanted because it could cause damage to the permanent tooth. Losing a tooth before it’s ready to come out can lead to other teeth crowding into the vacant spot. The teeth might not leave enough room for the permanent tooth to emerge, which can cause crooked teeth and eating problems. Dentists can prevent this from happening by inserting a space maintainer in your child’s mouth until it’s the right time for the permanent tooth to emerge. A space maintainer is a metal appliance that is placed where the tooth is lost to keep the area open prior to the permanent tooth erupting.
Can You Replant a Permanent Tooth?
If the knocked-out tooth is a permanent tooth, you should rinse it off carefully, replace it in the mouth as quickly as possible and see your dentist immediately. If the tooth is dirty rinse in cold water. Do not scrub it or use soap. Place the tooth back in its socket and have the child bite down gently on a piece of gauze or a washcloth. If you cannot replant the tooth put it in a clean glass and keep it moist until you can get to a dentist. There is a product called Save-A-Tooth that would be the best liquid to put the tooth in. If you are not close to a drug store put it in cold milk or water. You need to act fast and be prepared in case a permanent tooth is knocked out.
Prevent Tooth Injuries With Mouthgaurds
Make sure kids wear mouthguards and protective gear for contact sports and helmets while biking and skateboarding. Though you cannot prevent every fall or sports injury, child-proofing your home can go a long want in avoiding dental injuries.
Contact us (859) 586-7900 for more information or to make an appointment!
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About Torbeck Dental
Torbeck Dental treats every patient with dignity and excellent care. We are highly-trained dental professionals with exceptionally friendly and helpful service. We understand that for many, visiting a dentist can be a stressful experience so our comfortable surroundings and compassionate staff will ease any fears you may have. We are here to help you achieve your happiest and healthiest smile! Our dental team are a group experienced professionals using the latest treatments. Our team has the professional experience to realize that there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all treatment, so we never use a one-size-fits-all approach to your dental plan. We provide quality and personalized oral health care while keeping your individuality in mind. Our goal is to improve and maintain your oral health so you can smile with confidence!