Dental injury in children is a common problem for kids and parents. Today, our Smile Town Burnaby dentists list the most common dental injuries in kids and how they may be prevented.
Injuries to Children's Teeth
Kids have energy to burn - many are active every chance they get, whether that's during recess, playing sports, taking part in recreational activities or just horsing around with siblings. Unfortunately, this also leaves ample opportunity for slips, trips, falls and hits to the mouth that can result in dental trauma.
These injuries may happen to primary (baby) teeth or permanent (adult) teeth. Common dental injuries include chipped or cracked teeth. Sometimes, a tooth may be completely knocked out or detached from the socket. This can result in pain, bleeding or increased sensitivity surrounding an injured tooth. Let's explore some of the most common dental injuries in children below and how they can be prevented.
Loose or Dislocated Primary Tooth
While children's primary teeth are eventually naturally replaced by emerging permanent teeth, sometimes kids can lose primary teeth early due to trips, falls or hits to the mouth that end up dislocating a tooth. If your child's tooth is very loose, it should be removed to avoid being inhaled or swallowed.
Broken, Chipped or Fractured Tooth
Has a piece of your child's tooth broken off or chipped? If so, the first thing you'll want to do is have them rinse with warm water, then apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. Try to locate and save the tooth fragment that's broken off and call your dentist immediately.
Object Caught in Teeth
While every parent watches their child as closely as possible, sometimes injuries happen and foreign objects such as small buttons, jewellery, paper clips or toy parts can get caught.
If this is the case, use dental floss to gently remove it - never a plastic, metal or sharp tool.
Toothache
Toothaches can point to underlying oral health issues such as cavities or other problems. If your child is suffering from a toothache, rinse his or her mouth with warm water and check the teeth to ensure there is not an object caught between them. Hold a cold compress to the area to ease pain, but do not apply heat, aspirin or topical pain reliever to the area directly as this may cause gum damage.
You might consider giving your child children's pain relievers as recommended.
Preventing Dental Injuries in Children
Many dental injuries in children can be prevented by preparing both them and their environment. These include:
- Child-proofing your home to avoid falls.
- Not allowing your child to chew on popcorn kernels, ice, hard candies or other hard foods.
- Using car seats for young children and requiring older children to properly wear their seat belts at all times while in your vehicle.
- Bringing your child in for regular dental cleanings and checkups with our Burnaby dentists to prevent cavities and toothaches.
- Having a custom dental mouth guard made to protect your little athlete's teeth while they are on the rink or field. These specially made mouth guards provide ideal comfort, fit and protection for your child's mouth.