Dental trauma can be traumatizing to both a child and a parent. Unfortunately, due to the nature of their physical development, kids are at higher risk of dental trauma at many different stages of their life.
From when they learn to walk as an infant, to jumping around in a friend’s bounce house, and playing contact sports as a teenager, dental trauma is relatively common in kids.
Here are a few tips from Dr. Ashley Rosenbaum at Premier Pediatric Dentistry on how to care for your child’s dental injury, and what to look out for after the injury has occurred.
One of the most common tooth injuries that we see is a dental luxation. This is when your child has hit their tooth and the tooth has moved out of place. It is normal to see a small amount of bleeding from the gum around the tooth after this type of injury. If the movement is mild and does not prevent your child from biting their teeth together, this type of injury typically requires little to no treatment. If your child’s tooth was moved severely out of place or is overly mobile, dental treatment may be necessary.
A broken tooth, or a dental fracture, is another common dental injury in children. It involves a break in the crown of your child’s tooth. If the break is minor, your pediatric dentist may recommend no treatment or to smooth the broken tooth. If your child’s tooth fracture is large, they may require a nerve treatment and dental bonding or crown to preserve the integrity of the tooth. If you find the broken piece of tooth, quickly save it in a cup of milk and bring it to your dentist appointment.
In the instance of a fracture or luxation tooth injury, quickly evaluate if your child has any other injuries, such as a concussion or laceration, that may require immediate evaluation. If your child has only sustained a tooth injury, gently clean the area with warm water and a soft cloth. If your child is bleeding, apply sustained pressure to the affected area until it resolves. Call your pediatric dentist for an immediate evaluation.
Dental injuries affect children immediately, but also place the tooth at risk of pain and infection in the future. Teeth that have been traumatized must be monitored on a regular basis for tooth discoloration, pain, and signs of dental abscess that can form at any time during the life of the tooth. These signs can happen years after the injury itself!
If your child is in Miami, and has experienced a dental injury, contact our pediatric dental office at (786) 296-1891 for a dental evaluation by Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, Ashley Rosenbaum of Premier Pediatric Dentistry.
Written by Dr. Ashley Rosenbaum. Published on April 21, 2023
