Kids Dental Injuries

Being a parent can be scary, and in the event of a kids dental injury, it’s important to be prepared. Dental injuries can occur in a variety of situations and it is common to see accidents take place during play time or while playing a sports game. In a study reported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), dental injuries were more common in boys than girls and the average age of injury was eight years old. Unfortunately, accidents can happen any time and anywhere so it can be near impossible to prevent every single accident a child has. Therefore, it may be more realistic to be prepared to know what to do in case an accident happens.

Common Causes of Kids Dental Injuries

1. Unspecified accidental falls – Falls happen a lot, especially because children are still learning about spatial awareness and coordination when they are young. Falls can result in a chipped or cracked tooth; a tooth may even get knocked out of the mouth.
2. Being struck by an object – If an inanimate object hits the tooth with enough force, the tooth may come out completely or at the very least it may fracture.
3. Sports and recreational activity accidents – Sports and outdoor activities such as bicycling, or rollerblading are common past-time events that involve the risk of dental injury. This could be due to the fast-paced nature of the game and/or instances of physical contact with other kids.

Treatment

If a….

Permanent tooth falls out

1. Locate the tooth and handle it only by the chewing surface—not the root.
2. Place the tooth in a saline solution, milk or a cup of your child’s saliva to preserve it. If you cannot locate the tooth, focus on the immediate symptoms such as bleeding and pain.
3. Have your child bite down on gauze to help stop bleeding and administer ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief.
4. Call your child’s dentist immediately!

Baby tooth falls out

1. Don’t worry about locating the tooth.
2. Focus on relieving your child’s pain and/or bleeding by holding a cold compress to the area and contact your pediatric dentist as soon as possible.
3. If your child is in pain, consult your pediatrician for instructions on whether or not to administer over-the-counter pain medication.

Tooth is chipped

1. Try to find any pieces of the tooth.
2. Rinse the mouth with warm water.
3. Contact your pediatric dentist!

Advanced Children’s Dentistry provides an educational and calm kids dental experience. If your child has recently experienced a dental injury, schedule a pediatric dental appointment with Advanced Children’s Dentistry at 516-284-8082 as soon as possible.