First aid in case of dental trauma:
General information
Before you call your dentist you need to make the following observations:
- If your child has an injury at the mouth area, check for any systemic symptoms like dizziness, vomiting or fainting. In case your child doesn’t feel well call your paediatrician.
- Also if your child had this injury outside the house, check if his tetanus vaccination is up-to-date.
- Observe for any swelling or abrasions inside or outside the mouth. In case of swelling on the lips or cheeks use an ice pack covered with a cotton towel for few minutes to diminish swelling.
Broken teeth
- If a part of a tooth is missing look to find it, and put it in a cup with tap water and keep it refrigerated. This broken part can be reattached on the tooth. If the fractured teeth is not found an artificial one can be made and attached on the tooth with very good esthetic result.- Call your dentist
NOTE: Reattachment of a broken part can be done only on permanent teeth NOT IN BABY TEETH
Loosening of teeth
If your child's tooth becomes loose but do not change position then you need to call your dentist and visit him. Depending how much is moving your dentist may have to immobilize it. This job is better to be done the same day of the injury.
NOTE: Usually only permanent teeth are immobilized but sometimes baby teeth are also good candidates for immobilization.
Dislocation (change of position) of a tooth
Call your dentist immediately. The tooth need to be repositioned and stabilized by the dentist the same day before it consolidates in its abnormal position.
NOTE: Primary teeth cannot always be repositioned but your dentist knows better.
Knocked out permanent teeth (Avulsed teeth)
This is the most urgent situation in dentistry. If your child falls and have his tooth knocked out follow the following steps:
-Call your dentist
-Find the tooth. If the injury happened outside the house and the tooth is soiled wash it by soaking it in a cup of tap water. Never under running water. Make sure you hold the tooth from the white – square part (crown) and not from the root otherwise you'll damage the root cells which are important for the reattachment.
- If your child and your heart cooperate try to put the tooth back in the socket so the root will keep moist with blood and the root cells maintain their vitality. Hold the tooth in place with your fingers.
- Otherwise store the tooth in cold milk and run to the dentist. The fastest the tooth is put back the better. Research shows that if the tooth is reimplanted within the first 30 – 40 minutes the possibility that the tooth will hold stable is high.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Primary teeth are not reimplanted due to very poor success rate.
