Accidents

Primary Teeth

Did you know the "top" of a primary tooth is really close to the "bottom" of a permanent tooth in the gum tissue of your child's mouth? Which means injuries to the primary teeth can have a severe impact on the developing permanent teeth. To avoid damage to the permanent teeth, it is important to have a detailed clinical assessment, possibly including a radiographic examination, by our pediatric dentist(s). Dr. Luke and Dr. Marshall recommend to have your child’s teeth checked as soon as possible after an accident.

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Permanent Teeth

Traumatic injuries to permanent teeth are very common and most often involve the upper front teeth.

The most frequent injuries are:

•  Fractures (broken teeth): If your child fractures her/his tooth we recommend putting the broken piece in saliva or milk and making arrangements to visit our office as soon as possible. Often we can successfully re-attach the piece to the remaining tooth.

•  Luxation (loosened or displaced teeth): If your child’s tooth is loose or displaced after an accident, then please see one of our pediatric dentist(s) as soon as possible. It is important to re-position and stabilize the tooth to prevent further damage to the supporting structures.

• Avulsion (complete loss of the tooth): If the complete tooth has fallen out, then time is of paramount importance! Within the first 5 minutes there is a possibility to replant the tooth into the socket. If this is not possible, place the tooth into saliva or milk. In either case, ensure you do not touch the root of the tooth.  Your child needs to see one of our pediatric dentist(s) immediately!