Broken Children’s Teeth Emergency
Children’s baby teeth are tiny, fragile things, we know that eventually they will fall out. Is it ever a problem if they break or are damaged prematurely? There are occasions when a broken baby tooth must be treated by a dental professional. Helping to teach your child in their adolescence how to care for their teeth will also protect them in the long term.
Broken Children’s teeth are often caused by some form of trauma; the stairs, the playground, a door. Aside from the pain level from your child, and the physical appearance of the tooth, you will not be able to detect the extent of the damage. You will need to see a dental professional. A dentist can use high-tech imaging equipment to take comprehensive scans and x-rays of the jaw and teeth. The pain may subside shortly, and your child will be able to live with comfort after the tooth is broken; but only after follow up consultation will you know for sure whether there is long term damage. On average, a chipped or broken baby tooth is not an emergency, but it usually warrants a checkup. The sooner your dentist is aware of dental trauma, the sooner they can take corrective action.
What to do in case of a broken children’s tooth
- Stay Calm- Step 1 is always the hardest. You need to remain calm to help keep your child calm. If there is pain, it will only get worse if the child gets anxious or worked up. Stress can lead to symptoms similar to shock; problems breathing, shaking, freezing up. If you are feeling overwhelmed or scared for your child, take a deep breath and exhale slowly, repeat. This will help to slow your heart rate so you can focus and care for the child.
- Inspect the tooth- If pieces of the tooth are broken, calm the child down and have the spit everything out of their mouth. You want to make sure any chips or broken pieces are removed from the mouth as soon as possible.
- Important! If your child expresses any problems breathing, call an ambulance or 911 and take them to the ER. It is possible that a shard of tooth has accidentally been inhaled or swallowed in a way that restricts the airway.
- Collect the tooth pieces- It is not pretty to navigate your way through saliva and blood spit–but in some cases the tooth can actually be repaired, so if you have time try to collect all the pieces. A napkin or small piece of tissue will make do if you have it.
- Administer Relief- If your child is in pain, it is usually okay to administer children's aspirin or over the counter pain medication. A cold compress is also a good option. Consult with your pediatrician for anything more advanced.
After a scenario where your child breaks a tooth, if you have not immediately gone to a dentist or ER, you will want to make an appointment reasonably soon. Call your usually dentist and explain the situation. They will help to reassure you, and make time to see the child so you can both move forward. A repaired tooth is often a necessary choice to protect against further dental damage, gum and tooth infection, and jaw disorders.