Teeth are incredibly strong, but under the right circumstances they can fail and crack, chip, or break. An injured tooth can happen in several ways; however, decay and facial injuries are the most common in young children. When a tooth becomes injured, it might not cause physical pain—and your child may not even notice it is broken until their tongue touches the sharp edges. However, large breaks or cracks—or a knocked out tooth—can cause pain and other issues.
If your child has suffered an injury that has affected the tooth, follow these four tips to help minimize the damage and pain:
1. Inspect and Clean the Mouth
As soon as your child complains of pain or notices something odd in their mouth, visually inspect their mouth. Look for signs of cracking or breaking, which will be very noticeable. If there is some damage to the tooth, inspect the rest of the mouth for tooth fragments that may be stuck to the tongue, lips, or gums.
Once you have inspected the mouth, have your child rinse their mouth with warm water. If pain is present, have your child rinse with warm salt water. Just add 1 teaspoon of table salt or sea salt to a glass of warm water, and have your child use that to rinse.
2. Stop the Bleeding
If your child's mouth is bleeding due to a facial or tooth injury, act quickly to stop it. Have your child bite down on a sterile piece of gauze firmly for 10 minutes, or until the bleeding stops. If the bleeding continues after 10 minutes of pressure, remove the gauze and have your child bite down firmly on a moistened black tea bag. The tannic acid will help the blood clot, which will stop excessive bleeding.
3. Gather and Store the Teeth
Sometimes, your family dentist can save damaged teeth—even if they are in fragments. However, you must collect the teeth or fragments of teeth in order to do that. Be careful and handle the teeth gently, so that they have the best chance of surviving—and being re-inserted. When handling teeth, make sure you are only touching the top—or crown—of the tooth. You should not touch the roots, as that can cause potential issues such as infection.
If you can, re-insert the tooth into your child's mouth. Simply hold the tooth firmly and insert it into the empty tooth socket. Have your child bite on some gauze to hold it in place. If the tooth cannot be re-inserted due to pain—or because it is in fragments—store it in whole milk until you arrive at the dentist.
4. Get Help
Finally, make sure you get help promptly for severe issues such as knocked out or broken teeth. Call your family dentist immediately and visit an emergency room if your dentist cannot see your child.
Dental emergencies can be scary, especially if they involve your child. Use these tips and act quickly to help save your child's tooth—and to prevent future damages. For more information, visit http://www.nwidentist.com/.
Share11 June 2015
I have always brushed and flossed my teeth daily, but I still had the occasional cavity when I visited the dentist for a check-up. He told me it was normal to have a cavity on occasion and that I shouldn't let it stress me out too much. Well, I am not one to just accept any problem I am having, so I started looking into how to improve my oral hygiene even more. I had always thought mouthwash was just to improve your breath, but I found some that said they helped keep cavities away. I started using one every day before bed. I haven't had a cavity in two years now, and I think the mouth rinse is the reason! I created this blog to remind other people that even if they brush and floss regularly, they can always find ways to take even better care of their teeth.
