What is dental trauma?

A dental trauma is a fracture either loss of one or more teeth. Visits to the dentist due to dental trauma are very frequent, and even more so in summer, since doing more outdoor activities, going on excursions, swimming in swimming pools increases the risk of falling.

There are two peaks of incidence according to age:

  • The first incidence peak is between 10 and 24 months of age, due to the beginning of autonomy in crawling and the beginning of learning to walk, among other activities.
  • The other peak is between the ages of 9 and 10, which is when they do more sports, especially as a team.

How should one act in the event of dental trauma?

1. Act fast and call the dentist is essential.

Early action by parents and caregivers is essential for a good prognosis of the fractured tooth or teeth.

It will be essential to call the trusted dentist immediately, since traumatisms are always emergency treatments and the ideal would be to provide a photograph of the injury so that the pediatric dentist can assess and give guidelines before the consultation.

2. Assess whether or not the tooth has been fractured and locate the fragment

Another important point to assess will be to see if the tooth has been fractured or not. In the event that it has been fractured, we must locate the fragment in order to keep it in good condition until the visit with the dentist.

If we find the fragment, we must keep the piece of the tooth in a saline solution, and if we don't have it, in milk or even in saliva in the mouth.

3. Check if the tooth has completely fallen out

In the event that the tooth has completely fallen out (avulsion), we have to make sure if it is a permanent or temporary tooth, since the treatment to follow will be very different.

If it is a temporary tooth, it should never be replanted in the mouth, since we could damage the permanent ones that are in formation.

On the other hand, in the case of being a definitive tooth, our early action is of vital importance. In this case, we must take the tooth by the crown (the white area of the tooth visible in the mouth, not the root) very carefully. If it has sand or dirt, clean with running water or serum very gently, never rubbing and then place it in the mouth, biting down on a gauze pad.

In the case of not daring, we would keep it the same as if it were the fragment to keep it hydrated until the visit with the dentist.

During the visit, it will be decided what will be the next step to follow in the treatment of dental trauma. If you have questions about dental trauma and would like us to review your child's case, we will be happy to book a first appointment.

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