Unfortunately, toddlers and children playing sports or just engaging in everyday activities can unexpectedly incur a mouth, facial, or head injury. The following are some suggestions for handling these injuries. We suggest you print this, and keep it handy. The tips for immediate treatment can be instrumental in saving your children's teeth.
Cut or Bitten Tongue, Lip or Cheek
Apply ice to bruised areas. If there is bleeding, apply firm but gentle pressure with a clean gauze or cloth. If bleeding does not stop after 15 minutes or it cannot be controlled by simple pressure, take your child to a hospital emergency room.
Knocked Out Baby Tooth
Contact your pediatric dentist as soon as possible. While baby teeth are usually not put back into the mouth, it is important to determine if any roots remain or other teeth have been injured.
Knocked Out Permanent Tooth
Find the tooth. Handle the tooth by the top (crown), not the root portion. Rinse it gently in COOL WATER ONLY! DO NOT scrub or handle the tooth unnecessarily. Try and replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with a clean gauze or washcloth. If you can't put the tooth back into the socket, place it in a clean container with milk, saliva, or water. Time is CRITICAL! CALL YOUR PEDIATRIC DENTIST IMMEDIATELY! The faster you act, the better your chances of saving the tooth.
Toothache
Call your pediatric dentist as soon as possible. To comfort your child, rinse his mouth with warm water. Apply a cold compress. DO NOT put heat or aspirin on the sore area. Give your child Children's Motrin to help alleviate the pain until the appointment.
Chipped or Fractured Tooth
Contact your pediatric dentist immediately. If you can find any tooth fragments bring them with you. Quick action can save the tooth, prevent infection and reduce the need for extensive dental treatment. Rinse any dirt from the injured area with warm water, and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling.
Other Emergency Conditions:
Possible Broken Jaw: If a fractured jaw is suspected, try to keep the jaws from moving by using a towel, tie, or handkerchief, then take your child to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Bleeding After Baby Tooth Falls Out: Fold and pack a clean gauze or cloth over the bleeding area. Have your child bite on the gauze with pressure for 15 minutes. This may be repeated once; if bleeding persists, see a dentist.
Cold/Canker Sores: Many children occasionally suffer from "cold" or "canker" sores. Usually over-the-counter preparations give relief. Because some serious diseases may begin as sores, it is important to have a dental evaluation if these sores persist.
Preventing Injuries
CHILDPROOF YOUR HOME! Make sure infants and toddlers cannot find sharp objects such as pencils and pens to put in their mouths. Electrical outlets should be covered and cords are out of their reach. As children are learning to walk, make sure there are not sharp corners on furniture. If there are, pad the corners or remove completely until the child has learned to walk with complete balance. Please use common sense, if something looks like it could injure a falling child, it can!
HAVE YOUR CHILD A WEAR CUSTOM MOUTH GUARD! Dental injuries are the most common oral facial injury sustained in sports. Each year over 5,000 teeth are knocked out during sporting activities. We hate to see this type of injury, because it is so preventable! Mouth guards should be worn while playing any sport that involves contact or the possibility of falling, including recreational sports, and activities with friends. We offer high quality, custom fitted mouthpieces for maximum protection. Mouth guards purchased in retail stores offer little or no protection. This is because when you bite down on the softened material to form an impression; most of the material between your teeth is displaced. This is where the cushioning is needed most. They also deteriorate over time, providing even less protection.
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