From the very first baby tooth to the eruption of the last adult tooth, your child’s teeth are critically important to nearly every aspect of their physical, emotional, and psychosocial health and development. However, kids are naturally more vulnerable to sustaining dental injuries like loose or knocked out teeth, broken teeth, and oral injuries. While these injuries are rarely life-threatening, they do require prompt and proper treatment to ensure your child’s oral health for the future.
When it comes to your child’s smile, every milestone is special and represents an important phase in their overall development. But along with these milestones always lies the potential for accidents and injuries, especially in active kids. Kids fall, bump into things, and get hurt while playing sports, and along with these regular occurrences comes common dental injuries.
These injuries can seem alarming, but if you know what to do when your child experiences a dental injury, it can help you stay calm and act quickly to protect their teeth and overall health.
At Dental Depot of DFW, we know it can be hard enough raising kids without the worry of dental injuries, and we believe it takes teamwork to help your busy, active kids maintain their best oral health. We work with parents and guardians to help make sure you have all the resources, support, and comprehensive pediatric dental care services you need to help protect your child’s smile through all their milestones.
Kids love to run, jump, and explore, and while their energy is a joy to watch, it also increases the chances they’re going to experience a dental injury. Some of the most common causes of dental injuries in children include:
Though dental injuries can be painful for your kiddo, they are rarely life-threatening and nearly all of them can be remedied.
Nearly half of children will experience a dental injury at some point in their childhood, and while most happen in toddlers and school-aged kids, even older kids can sustain a dental injury that requires treatment. While dental injuries may not be life-threatening, they can have an impact on your child’s appearance, oral function and health, and self-confidence, so it’s important to seek proper treatment in a timely manner.
Here are some of the most common pediatric dental injuries and what to do if your child sustains one.
While baby teeth are meant to fall out eventually, losing one too early can cause problems for the surrounding teeth. This can either happen from decay, trauma, or a bad accident. The neighboring teeth may shift to fill the gap, which could lead to an overcrowded mouth when the adult tooth eventually erupts.
If your child loses a baby tooth prematurely, consult a dentist.
In some cases, the dentist may recommend a space maintainer to keep the teeth properly aligned until the adult tooth comes in.
If your child falls or experiences a blow to the mouth, they might end up with a dislocated or loose baby tooth. While baby teeth are designed to fall out on their own, trauma can cause a tooth to loosen before it’s ready.
If a baby tooth is loose or dislocated prematurely, call your dentist.
The dentist may recommend leaving it alone to see if the gums will heal and tighten around it, allowing it to reattach on its own temporarily (until it falls out completely). However, depending on the severity of the case, they may also need to remove it if it poses a risk of causing infection or damage to the adult tooth beneath it.
You should not try to put a loose or dislocated baby tooth back in its socket; it could damage the adult tooth erupting behind it.
One of the most alarming dental injuries for any parent is when a permanent tooth gets knocked out. This usually occurs as a result of a fall, sports injury, or other high-impact accident. The good news is that, in many cases, the tooth can be saved if you act quickly.
If a permanent tooth is knocked out, retrieve it immediately (holding it by the crown, not the root). Gently rinse it with clean water if it’s dirty, but do not scrub it. If possible, place the tooth back into the socket, or store it in a container of milk or your child’s saliva. Then, get to the dentist or emergency room as quickly as possible.
The faster you act in a dental emergency like this, the better the chances of saving the tooth .
If your child has a loose permanent tooth, call your dentist right away.
They may recommend a splint to stabilize the tooth while the surrounding tissues heal. The sooner the injury is treated, the better the chances of preserving the tooth.
A chipped or broken tooth is a common injury among active kids. Depending on the severity, the damage could range from a small cosmetic issue to a larger problem that exposes the inner parts of the tooth to infection.
For minor chips, your dentist may recommend smoothing the edges or bonding the tooth to restore its appearance. If a larger portion of the tooth is broken off, more extensive treatment, like a crown or filling, may be needed .
In addition to tooth damage, if your child gets into an accident, they might suffer cuts, bruises, or punctures to their lips, gums, or tongue. These injuries can be painful and uncomfortable, but they often heal on their own with basic first aid.
If your child suffers a mouth injury, clean the area with water and apply pressure to stop any bleeding. Cold compresses can help reduce swelling. If the bleeding doesn’t stop or the injury is severe, seek medical or dental care.
While it’s impossible to prevent all accidents, there are steps you can take to protect your child’s teeth and minimize the risk of dental injuries. These include:
Routine dental checkups and cleanings are key for maintaining good oral health and catching potential issues early.
At Dental Depot, we recommend regular visits every 6 months to ensure your child’s teeth and gums are healthy and developing properly. If you have concerns about your child’s teeth or notice any damage, your dentist can provide expert advice and treatment to prevent small problems from becoming bigger issues.
If your child plays contact sports like football, soccer, or hockey, a mouthguard is one of the best ways to protect their teeth. Mouthguards cushion the impact of blows to the face, reducing the risk of broken teeth, knocked-out teeth, and soft tissue injuries.
At Dental Depot, we can help you choose a mouthguard that fits your child comfortably and offers the best protection, or we can make a custom mouthguard for even better protection.
Accidents happen, but with a little preparation and knowledge, you can help protect your child’s smile and handle dental injuries with confidence.
At Dental Depot of DFW, we understand the stress of pediatric dental injuries and we’re here to support your family with comprehensive dental care services, from regular cleanings to emergency treatments. With multiple locations in and around the DFW metro area, as well as same-day, emergency, and Saturday appointments, Dental Depot of DFW makes it easy to get your child the care he or she needs, when they need it. Schedule an appointment today so you can keep your child’s smile healthy and bright for all the tomorrows.
