{"id":204608,"date":"2022-03-31T15:42:38","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T15:42:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.metroeastdentalcare.com\/?p=204608"},"modified":"2022-03-31T15:42:38","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T15:42:38","slug":"how-to-care-for-your-childs-chipped-or-broken-tooth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metroeastdentalcare.com\/how-to-care-for-your-childs-chipped-or-broken-tooth\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Care for Your Child\u2019s Chipped or Broken Tooth"},"content":{"rendered":"
Did you know approximately 50% of kids<\/a> will have a tooth injury of some kind at least once in their life? These statistics may sound a little scary, but let\u2019s think about it for a bit: Everything in your little one\u2019s life is new and exciting; this is especially the case for toddlers who have just learned to walk or preschool-aged children who often engage in vigorous play. Most of this movement and play comes punctuated with slips, trips, and falls, and apart from bumps and bruises, your child\u2019s teeth can also be right in the path of injury. Any fall on a hard surface has the potential to result in chipped or broken teeth especially to their small and fragile baby teeth.<\/p>\n Sometimes it\u2019s not even rough play or an accidental fall that causes damage but a chewed piece of ice or a bite into a piece of hard candy. So no matter how baby-proofed your home is, a fractured tooth can happen anywhere and anytime. All you can do as a parent is do your best to keep your child out of harm’s way, and if something does happen, learning what to do after your child fractures a tooth can go a long way in protecting their oral health and alleviating their discomfort.<\/p>\n When your child chips or breaks a tooth, it doesn\u2019t automatically make you a bad parent! These things happen, so take a deep breath and try to stay calm. Remember this is also a new situation for your child, and they\u2019ll likely gauge how to react based on your reaction. So if you seem anxious or scared, your child will as well. It\u2019s vital that you maintain a cool head to help de-escalate the situation and encourage your child to remain calm.<\/p>\n When your child chips or breaks a tooth, whether it\u2019s a baby tooth or a permanent one, you\u2019ll need to call your dentist right away. Even a small craze (crack) can have an impact on your little one\u2019s oral and overall health. You may not be able to see any damage, and there might not even be any bleeding or pain, but there could be a small opening, invisible to the naked eye, that allows bacteria to enter the inside of the tooth and develop an infection. Let your dentist know how the fracture occurred, what your child\u2019s teeth look like, and secure an emergency dental appointment right away.<\/p>\n Be sure to collect any fragments you can find of the broken tooth and store them in a glass of milk to keep them moist. In some cases, it may be possible for your dentist to reattach the chipped fragments to the remaining tooth structure using dental glue. If you can\u2019t find any tooth fragments or notice any sort of breathing problem following the injury, take your child to the emergency room immediately. Sometimes children accidentally swallow parts of a broken tooth, which can compromise their breathing.<\/p>\n Once you establish that your child can breathe normally and you\u2019ve collected fragments of the broken tooth, the next step is to start taking care of the symptoms. First, give your child warm water to rinse out their mouth and help keep the damaged area clean. If the chipped tooth continues to bleed, apply wet gauze to the area and instruct your child to use their teeth to hold the gauze in place long enough for the pressure to stop the bleeding.<\/p>\n Next, hold a cold compress to the outside of the cheek near the chipped tooth area for no more than 15 minutes to keep facial swelling down. Sucking on a popsicle can also work just the same as a cold compress, and it may also help alleviate pain and take the edge off of a not-so-sweet situation. Use your usual form of over-the-counter pain medication to help manage any pain associated with the injury until your dentist can assess the damage and provide better pain relief if necessary.<\/p>\n After a tooth chips or breaks, avoid giving your child hard foods that could further damage the tooth or cause more pain<\/a>. Instead, offer them soft, non-chocolate treats like yogurt, pudding, ice cream, applesauce, and bananas. You should also provide plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.<\/p>\n Dental treatment for a tooth injury normally depends on the extent of the damage. If your child\u2019s chipped tooth has a jagged edge, your dentist can smooth it out and fill in the part that chipped off. For injuries to a tooth that involve cracks but no nerve damage, a crown restoration may help restore the tooth\u2019s strength and prevent further damage.<\/p>\n If the accident led to tooth nerve damage, a root canal<\/a> may be necessary before getting a crown. Your dentist may also be able to reimplant a permanent tooth that\u2019s been completely knocked out<\/a> if your child receives treatment no more than an hour after the accident.<\/p>\nStep 1: Stay calm.<\/h2>\n
Step 2: Call your dentist.<\/h2>\n
Step 3: Save the fragment.<\/h2>\n
Step 4: Take care of the symptoms.<\/h2>\n
Step 5: Give the right food and drink.<\/h2>\n
Treat your chipped or broken tooth near Granite City, Illinois.<\/h2>\n