Teeth Trauma : How to Treat & Prevent {Legacy Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry}

1

With winter in the not so distant rear view mirror (but hopefully for good this time) and the spring flowers starting to appear, it is time to go outside and play!  Spring/summer sports are starting to kick off their new seasons and the kids are outside enjoying their juggle gyms.  As a pediatric dentist, all these activities start to get your mind on dental trauma and prevention.  Dental trauma can be a very scary thing for children and their parents.  As moms know, mouth injuries can be not so serious but still involve lots of blood so they always panic you a bit.  It is good to know how to diagnose and handle these injuries.  

If you don’t have a pediatric dentist, we strongly encourage you to find one and introduce your child to them by the age of one. Legacy Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry is an office commited to providing a safe and comfortable environment for both parents and children and continually strives to make each and every visit to the dentist a positive and pleasurable experience!  Should your child have one of these traumas below or you are ready to start them on the road to dental health, we would be happy to answer any questions you have.  Just call us at 817-731-6964.

Cut or bitten tongue, lip or frenum: The frenum is the small fold of skin that restricts movement of the tongue (under it) or inside the lips, connected to the gums.  If an injury occurs here place ice on the area to control swelling.  These injuries often will show some swelling and bleeding.  To control bleeding, apply pressure with gauze or cloth.  And inform your pediatric dentist of the injury.  They will determine how to proceed from there.  Most of these tissue injuries heal within a couple of weeks.

Chipped or fractured teeth:  If possible try to locate the piece of the tooth in case you are instructed to come to the dentist and you can bring with you.  It is important to check for sharp edges that may require smoothing to prevent injury to the tongue or soft tissue.  Contact your pediatric dentist and they will determine when your child should be seen.  You can give Children’s Tylenol or Motrin as needed for pain control at the time of the accident.  Following the injury, as a parent it is important to note if the tooth becomes increasingly sensitive or has a color change at some point after the injury, if this occurs give your pediatric dentist a call.  Also watch for any swelling or boils forming on the gums around the injured tooth.  These can occur a while after the injury but can be symbolic of nerve damage and an immediate call to your dentist is warranted.

Knocked out baby tooth: In most cases, no treatment is necessary, but contact your pediatric dentist and they will determine when your child needs to be seen and they can evaluate and monitor for the permanent tooth to come in.

Knocked out permanent tooth: If possible, find the tooth and hold it by the crown part of the tooth and not the root.  Do not try to clean the tooth with anything!  Place the tooth in a cup with milk or your child’s saliva and contact your pediatric dentist immediately.  Time is critical in attempting to save these teeth so DO NOT DELAY!

Severe blow to the head or jaw:  Take your child to the nearest emergency room to assess for head trauma. After an assessment there your pediatric dentist can be contacted for any teeth mouth injuries.

For children participating in sports, mouthguards are a great way to prevent trauma to the teeth, lips and tongue.  They fit over the teeth and help to avoid broken teeth or movement of the teeth if they are bumped by a ball or another player.  The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends mouthguards for children participating in all contact sports.  They also have shown that helmets, mouthguards and facemasks being used in sports can reduce the frequency and severity of dental injuries.  There are a couple of different kinds of mouthguards that can be worn. 

There is a custom-made in the dental office that is fit to your child’s mouth, a boil and bite and a stock mouthguard that is similar to a “one size fits all.”  It is important to find one that fits well or else it may not be serving its full purpose and the child will not want to wear it as it is uncomfortable.

custom mouthguard
Custom
boil and bite mouthguard
Boil & Bite
stock mouthguards
Stock “One Size Fits All”

 

 

 

 

 

Has your child experienced any dental traumas? How was he/she treated?

_____________________________________________________________

IMG_6877Dr. Dan Doss grew up in Kemp, Texas before making the move to Fort Worth to attend TCU. He attended dental school and a two-year residency in the specialty of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston. He has been married to Maureen (Mo) for 33 years and has two grown children, Michael and Kaydee and daughter in law Megan. He is excited to welcome his first granddaughter in March 2014. He enjoys reading, playing golf and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Liz Gold grew up in Palestine, TX. She attended Texas A&M University where she graduated in 2006 and proceeded to continue her education at the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston where she completed both dental school and residency. She has 4 siblings and 3 in-laws and has recently become an aunt to Luke (22 months) and Emma (3 months). In her free time she enjoys traveling, running, Aggie football games and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Doss and Dr. Gold practice at Legacy Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry in Southwest Fort Worth. They are both Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry as well as local, state and national dental societies.

1 COMMENT

  1. My oldest fell and chipped his tooth on the bathtub when he was 18 mouths. The chip was VERY slight and not even noticeable now when he is 4 but at the time of the injury he also busted his lip and OH THE BLOOD. For avfirst time mom and his first real injury it was scary! We had his checkup appointment a few days later with the pediatrician and he told us to watch for discoloration or sensitivity but otherwise he would be a-okay.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here