Dental Trauma

Please note: If you are in a serious accident, please visit the nearest emergency room.

Facial trauma can happen for a number of reasons, whether it’s a sports injury or car accident. Our team is highly skilled in treating...

• Facial lacerations
• Lacerations of the mouth
• Knocked out teeth
• Broken teeth

Broken Tooth:
Rinse with warm water to clean the area, give an analgesic like Motrin or Tylenol, and use a cold compress on the cheek or lips in the area of the injury to decrease swelling. If the tooth is also loose or displaced contact our Doctors for advice. If the chip is small and your child is not uncomfortable still call our practice within 12-24 hours of the injury.

Avulsed (knocked-out) Tooth:
If your child loses a baby tooth, it should not be re-implanted because the permanent tooth bud may be further injured. Find the tooth if possible and contact our Doctors within 24 hour of the injury.

If your child has knocked-out a permanent tooth, time is of the essence. It is best for the tooth to be replaced within 30 minutes, so:

• Take a deep breath, stay calm, and find the tooth.
• Hold the tooth by the shiny enamel crown and rinse the root in water if it is dirty.
• DO NOT SCRUB IT OR REMOVE ANY OF THE TISSUE ATTACHED TO THE ROOT! This tissue is critical to healing and our team will be prescribing an antibiotic.
• If possible, insert the tooth back into the socket. Your child may be upset but it does not hurt to put the tooth back - it is exactly what our dentist would do if they were there.
• If you cannot re-implant the tooth, place it in milk and bring it to the dentist or to the emergency room. If you can't find milk, use water.

Tongue or Lip Wounds:
Clean the area gently and apply cold compresses to reduce any swelling. If the bleeding can't be controlled, go to an urgent care clinic or a hospital emergency room.