Broken Tooth


Rinse the area with warm water. Put a cold compress over the facial area of the injury. Recover any broken tooth fragments. Get immediate dental attention.

If your child loses a tooth from an injury, try to remain calm. Call our clinic immediately and we will help you to determine if it is a permanent or primary tooth. If it is a permanent tooth, avoid touching the root in any way. If it is a permanent tooth, gently rinse the tooth under running water, but avoid rubbing the root area. Hold it by the crown rather than the root and try to reinsert it in the socket. (Your child can keep it in place until treatment by biting down on a wet piece of clean gauze.) If that is not possible, put the tooth in a glass of milk, saline solution, or saliva, and take your child and the glass immediately to our clinic, or an emergency medical treatment facility.

For a broken tooth, rinse your child's mouth out with warm water to clean out any debris or foreign matter. Use a cold compress on the child's cheek or gum near the affected area to keep any swelling down. Call our clinic immediately.

Knocked Out Baby Tooth

Baby teeth should NOT be put back into the mouth because it may damage the growing permanent tooth. Your child still needs to be seen at the office to find out if any other teeth, jawbone or tissues around the mouth are injured.

Knocked Out Permanent Tooth

Contact a dentist immediately. Time is a critical factor in saving a permanent tooth. Find the tooth and gently rinse off any dirt with room temperature water. Hold the tooth by the crown, not the root, and do not scrub it. Place the tooth into its socket and have your child hold the tooth in place. If you are not able to reinsert the tooth, put it in a cup with milk or water and bring it to the dentist.

Cut or Bitten Tongue, Lip or Cheek

Ice can be applied to any bruised areas. For bleeding, apply firm (but gentle) pressure with sterile gauze or a clean cloth. If the bleeding does not stop with pressure or continues after 15 minutes, go to an emergency room.

Bleeding After a Baby Tooth Falls Out

Fold a piece of gauze and place it (tightly) over the bleeding area. Bite down on the gauze for 15 minutes; if bleeding continues, see a dentist.







Sports injuries


What do the following have in common?

  • A bat
  • A ball
  • A knee or elbow
  • A hard surface, such as the ground or the bottom of a swimming pool

They all are things that could easily come into contact with your child's mouth when participating in sports. And they all have the potential for damaging or knocking out teeth, or fracturing or dislocating a jaw. High-risk activities include "contact" sports, such as football, boxing, martial arts (including karate and kick-boxing) and hockey, as well as non-contact sports such as basketball, baseball, bicycle riding, roller-blading, soccer, wrestling, racquetball, surfing, and skateboarding.

Even swimming, with all of its gentility, poses serious hazards for your child's teeth. Common swimming pool accidents occur when children, swimming underwater, quickly ascend to the surface, hitting the hard ledge, and loosening the front tooth. Running on slippery, slick cement and ceramic pool surfaces also can send your child headfirst into the ground, increasing the likelihood of a chipped or loose tooth.

Many sports-related emergencies involving teeth can be avoided by following the rules and remembering dental first aid steps. If your child participates in any sports, a mouth guard is a smart investment. Mouth guards are soft plastic devices that fit over the front of your child's mouth, protecting his teeth, lips, cheeks, and gums from sports-related injuries. A well-fitting mouth guard can protect your child from injuries to the teeth, face, and even some severe injuries to the head.

Possible Broken Jaw

In the event of jaw injury, tie the mouth closed with a towel, tie or handkerchief. Go immediately to an emergency room of a medical hospital.

Most Common Causes of Injury to Teeth

These are tile floors, coffee tables, stairs, swimming pools, play structures, bicycle riding, trampoline, basketball, baseball, playing in construction zones and scooters.

Professionally fitted mouth guards can prevent injuries to the teeth and are offered by our clinic.






Toothache and Swelling


Toothache

Check the tooth to see if there is any food trapped inside or around it. Brush and floss the area thoroughly.Rinse the mouth vigorously with warm salt water and try to dislodge any debris. Give the appropriate dose of pain relief medication and call the office to make an appointment.

Swelling

If the face is swollen because of a tooth infection, it could be a life-threatening situation and your child needs to go to a hospital emergency room immediately. Place a cold compress on the face until you can see a doctor. Call our office for an emergency appointment to evaluate where the tooth infection is and how to treat it. Get treated for toothache and swelling.