After a tooth trauma, it can be hard to know when to see a pediatric dentist. Warmer temperatures bring an increase in outdoor activities, and along with that we often see an increase in dental trauma. It’s ideal to wear mouthguards to protect teeth during contact sports, but occasionally dental injuries still happen. Whether your child experiences an impact to their lips, primary tooth or permanent tooth, Dr. Villasenor and the team at Rise and Shine Pediatric Dentistry have you covered.
With any oral injury, make sure to call our office at 303-758-0223 right away so that Dr. Villasenor can determine the appropriate intervention and timeline to see your child for a visit if needed. These types of injuries often happen after hours, so when you call our office make sure to follow the instructions to reach Dr. Villasenor promptly.
Soft tissue injuries
In the event that your child injures soft tissue, such as lips or gum tissue, Dr. Villasenor will advise holding pressure with a clean wet wipe or wash cloth. If a laceration (cut) does not stop bleeding or crosses the border of the lip where it meets skin, your child may need to be seen by a medical professional to have sutures placed.
If your child has an injury that causes bleeding, mobility, displacement, or fracture of a primary (baby) tooth, Dr. Villasenor will want to see your child within a few days to take a radiograph and evaluate the permanent teeth near the impacted primary tooth. As long as your child is able to still bite down normally, no active treatment will likely be indicated at this initial visit. Sometimes treatment may be warranted either at this visit or a follow up visit if a tooth is cracked in a way that exposes the nerve area or if it is displaced into a position where your child cannot bite down properly. Dr. Villasenor will discuss possible trauma sequelae and things to watch for as your child heals that warrant a call to the office.
Damage to a tooth
In case of permanent tooth trauma, time is of the essence when responding and positioning teeth for the best outcome and recovery. If a permanent tooth has moved positions, the sooner you can see Dr. Villasenor so she can put it back in its proper position and place a splint to keep it there, the better. If a permanent tooth is knocked out completely, pick the tooth up by the crown (the part you see in the mouth), and try to place it back into its position without touching the root (the part under the gums). Then, have your child bite on a clean, wet washcloth to keep it in place until Dr. Villasenor can splint it into proper position. If unable to do this, place the tooth in milk (NOT water) and call Dr. Villasenor immediately so that she can replace it. If your child fractures a permanent tooth, the timing with which Dr. Villasenor will restore the fracture depends on whether the nerve was exposed by the break and the amount of discomfort your child is experiencing.
Because mouths are very vascular, they bleed a lot- but they also heal very quickly. Your child will feel sore around injured teeth for up to two weeks, depending on the extent of the injury. Soft tissue will look significantly better within 5-7 days. Dr. Villasenor recommends taking children’s Motrin or Tylenol to manage discomfort, warm salt water rinses if your child is able to swish and spit, and parental assistance with gentle brushing and flossing to promote healing by having a clean mouth. Oral injuries will require ongoing following up, and Dr. Villasenor is here to walk you through this process!