Essential first aid for all traumatic oral injuries (Teeth and Soft Tissues) in Children

During childhood, around 50 to 60% of children will have some type of injury to a tooth. Injuries to other soft tissues surrounding teeth are also common. These injuries often occur after a fall, motor vehicle accident, sports injury, or during a fight. In the majority of cases, tooth and mouth injuries are not life-threatening. Rarely, a child may develop serious complications. Injuries to the teeth and mouth can have long-lasting effects on the child’s appearance and self-confidence.

Dental Injuries:

Most people don’t know what needs to be done after the injury. The treatment for dental injuries depends upon the type of injury and whether the injured tooth is

• A Primary (Milk or baby teeth) or
• Permanent (adult) tooth.

Parents often confused whether an injured tooth is permanent or primary. Usually, permanent teeth are not present before six to seven years of age and permanent teeth are bigger in size than primary.

As it is a common myth the exfoliated teeth are useless but one should know that dentists can put the same permanent teeth into the socket and fix it if proper care has been taken of the teeth and socket after injury. Permanent teeth have the best chance of being saved when replaced within 60 minutes.

Injuries to Primary teeth (Milk or baby teeth) and its surrounding tissue.

Many other dental injuries are less urgent but may need to be evaluated by the dentist.

If an infant, toddler, or child injures the gums or baby teeth:

• If its bleeding applies pressure to the area with the piece of cold and wet cotton or gauze. If your child is old enough ask to bite down on the gauze.
• Offer an ice candy to suck on to reduce swelling, or hold an ice-pack to the lip or cheek of the injured site.
• Call pediatric dentist for an appointment as soon as possible
• After an injury, if your child baby tooth knocked out or exfoliated earlier than expected, there’s no need to worry and do not try to replace it.
• But if a permanent tooth comes out, it’s a dental emergency and needs to act as quickly as to save it.

 Injuries to Permanent teeth and their surrounding tissue.

If a permanent tooth is broken down into pieces:

• Gather all pieces of the tooth.
• Clean/wash the mouth and tooth pieces with warm water.
• Call the pediatric dentist for an appointment as soon as possible.

If a permanent tooth is knocked/pulled out:

If anyone can face a traumatic dental injury that leads to pulling out the teeth then the following needs to be done to get the good outcome of the treatment.

Following Guidelines should be followed

1. If it’s bleeding apply pressure to the area with the piece of cold and wet cotton or gauze. If your child is old enough ask to bite down on the gauze.
2. If the teeth get contaminated with soil or any other thing then clean the tooth under running tap water, don’t scrub, or brush the teeth. Hold the tooth by the crown (Chewing end of the tooth) and not the root.
3. If possible push the teeth again in the socket or put at least in the oral cavity between your lower lip and gum and rush to the nearest dentist
4. If not possible to put in the mouth then knocked/avulsed teeth should be kept in the following storage media
5. Hank Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) (Buy from Medical Store)
6. Milk (Easily Available)
7. Saliva (Present in the oral cavity)
8. Saline (Available on Medical Shop)
9. Water (Last Option if above media not available)
10. Extra-oral dry time should be less than 60 min means don’t allow to dry the teeth for more than 60 mins
11. Don’t remove the tissues which are attached to the tooth structure as it helps in the attachment of the tooth to its socket
12. Rush to the nearest dentist as soon as possible
13. These teeth need to be get fixed within 30 to 60 mins after the injury to get a good outcome of the treatment
14. Follow the instructions after completion of the procedure

Dr. Mayur S. Bhattad

Director and Chief Pediatric Dentist

Happy Tooth Laser Dental Clinic

Nanded, Maharashtra.

Mobile: 9860273039

Email Id: drmayur@bhattads.in

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