Children suffer with their teeth from the get go. Almost as soon as they are born, it seems dental problems begin and pain raises its ugly head. Of course, ensuring your child follows good dental hygiene – combined with regular visits to the dentist – will help toward a lifetime of great looking and functional teeth. But children will be children, and take part in pursuits such as running, jumping, playing, and falling over. Accidents happen and teeth get damaged, or even knocked out.
First aid treatment for baby teeth
So-called baby teeth fall out naturally at around seven years of age, but may be injured before this. If a baby tooth is knocked out, you should never put it back into the socket: you risk fusing the socket and ruining the coming adult teeth. Instead, get your child to bite down on a clean cloth. This will help to calm them down and stop any bleeding. Put the tooth in some milk, and go to the dentist for treatment.
If the tooth hasn’t come out but instead is impacted, go to the dentist immediately.
Different treatment for permanent (adult) teeth
By the time your child has adult teeth, hopefully the random falling down and bumping into things will have stopped. But there are always stray laces to trip over, and cricket balls to take their place. Treatment is different when permanent teeth are damaged. Here are four steps to follow:
- Stay calm… Your calmness will help your child to stay calm, too
- Handle the tooth at the top (the ‘biting end’), and gently clean any dirt using milk or saline
- If the tooth will go back into the socket, put it there! Using a hanky or face washer as a buffer, ask your child to bite down to keep the tooth in place
- If you can’t easily replace the tooth in its socket, place it in milk or saline.
- Go to your dentist or an emergency dental service immediately
Summing up – keep calm, keep the tooth safe, and visit the dentist. Follow these simple first aid rules, and your child will always have their lovable smile.
