Dental accident – what to do?


First aid for milk teeth & permanent teeth from the pediatric dentist.


It happened quickly, your child fell and hurt his teeth. The front incisors are most frequently affected (anterior tooth trauma). Statistically, every third child suffers a dental accident by the age of 16. Mostly this happens during sports and playing at home, at school or in kindergarten.
If a dental accident has occurred, you can significantly limit the damage by acting correctly. We show you how!

First aid for dental accident with milk teeth

Ein Milchzahn ist gelockert, abgebrochen oder verschoben?

Whether the milk tooth is loosened, a piece has broken off or the tooth is displaced, our pediatric dental office should always be visited after a fall on the teeth. The dentist will then decide whether an x-ray or other therapy is necessary. Often, in this type of dental accident (milk tooth trauma), an antibacterial gel is prescribed, which helps prevent inflammation.

Can a knocked out milk tooth be reinserted?

 If a milk tooth is completely knocked out in an accident, it should not be put back (replanted) because the risk of damaging the germs of the following teeth is too great. Sometimes, however, the tooth is knocked into the jaw and is no longer visible. The displaced milk tooth would thus mechanically damage the permanent tooth. To exclude this case, an x-ray is necessary.

What to do if the milk tooth becomes dark after a dental accident?

A possible consequence of a milk tooth trauma is the dark discoloration of the tooth in question, but this usually does not require treatment. The grey discoloration is comparable to a hematoma (bruise) and may fade over time. However, if a small yellow pustule (fistula) forms on the overlying gum after some time, this indicates an inflammation that can damage the permanent tooth. Therefore, a dental check-up and treatment by your pediatric dentist are urgently necessary.

Dental accident with a permanent tooth - How to react correctly!

In the event of a dental accident involving a permanent tooth, our pediatric dental practice in Munich should also be visited as soon as possible. In addition, here are important measures to save a knocked-out tooth!

What should be considered to save a knocked out permanent tooth?

If a permanent tooth is completely or partially knocked out in an accident, action should be taken quickly. The correct behaviour in the first few minutes is decisive for the further fate of the tooth! To ensure that the knocked-out tooth does not dry out until further treatment and that the tissue attached to the root is not damaged, it is of great importance to store it correctly. This is best done in the so-called "tooth rescue box". Alternatively, the tooth can be placed in isotonic saline solution or cold UHT milk and transported. However, these alternatives can only be used for a short time (milk: 30 min. and saline solution: 1-2 hrs.). Under no circumstances should the tooth be cleaned or stored dry!

Replantation of the permanent tooth in the pediatric dental practice

As soon as you are in the office, we will immediately try to replant the tooth (put it back into the jaw). The same applies to broken pieces of tooth, because we can reattach them to the tooth with the help of high-quality composite. All found tooth pieces should be brought to the practice (if possible!). This is the best way to preserve the tooth permanently.

However, tooth trauma can result in damage or inflammation of the tooth nerve, this would result in subsequent root canal treatment. Every dental accident is discussed individually with us and treated as quickly as possible. Of course, you will be informed intensively about the findings, therapy and prognosis.

 

Here is the correct procedure:

Keep calm and act quickly

Search for the tooth or broken piece of tooth immediately

Touch the broken tooth only at the crown (not at the root!)

Do not clean or disinfect the tooth

Immediately place the tooth in a tooth rescue box (if this is not available, use saline solution or UHT milk)

In case of heavy bleeding, press gauze or a clean, lint-free textile piece (e.g. cloth handkerchief) onto the wound, cool externally

Call and visit your dentist or a dental clinic as soon as possible

Tooth rescue box

Dental protectors for children - well protected during sports

Children like to play sports and that's a great thing!
In many sports (stick and contact sports, also soccer, handball, inline skating, etc.) it makes sense to actively protect the teeth against accidents.

Dental protectors for children - well protected during sports

The best protection for teeth in case of a sports accident are helmets with an integrated chin guard and/or special plastic splints (so-called mouth guards). A distinction is made between prefabricated and laboratory-made splints. The laboratory-made splints are individually made and adjusted by us. This makes them comfortable to wear and does not interfere with breathing. The splints consist of several layers of elastic plastic. The number and thickness of the individual layers depend on the type of sport.

Get detailed advice in our pediatric dental practice. Because it is best if there is no dental accident in the first place and the teeth are not damaged at all!