Know how to treat a sports-related injury to your child’s teeth. Here’s what you need to do.
Bitten cheek, lip, or tongue:
Clean the area with a clean, wet cloth then apply a cold compress to minimize the swelling and to keep your child from swallowing so much blood, which can cause nausea. If bleeding does not slow, contact your doctor.
Chipped tooth:
A chipped tooth may be sharp against the cheek or tongue. Create a cap for it from sugarless gum or wax from the orthodontist. This gives you more time to get to our office.
Displaced or loose tooth:
The tooth is still somewhat attached in the mouth, although it may be sideways, pushed up into the gum, or hanging by a thread of connective tissue. This is not the emergency that a knocked-out tooth is, but you should still come to our office sooner rather than later to have it realigned.
Knocked-out tooth:
Contact our office to let us know you’re coming in immediately. Hold the tooth by the part that normally shows above the gum line (the crown). If the root is dirty, gently rinse it in water without scrubbing it. Either insert the tooth back in its socket or place it in a vial of milk then get to our office as quickly as possible so we can replant the tooth.
Swelling of the face, lips, and gums may occur with any of these injuries. Place ice cubes inside the mouth and cold compresses on the face and lips to minimize swelling before you reach our office.