Among many dental emergencies, one of the most frightening for a child is a broken or chipped tooth. A front tooth that is broken impairs your ability to eat or drink anything without discomfort. A broken or chipped tooth can happen for a variety of reasons
The Tooth is Loose
Just like the head, teeth can have concussions as well. If your child has their adult teeth, a loose tooth can be a dental emergency. The result of a loose tooth is either a hit or a hard impact on the mouth. The impact is usually coupled with pain and bleeding. If the tooth is still intact after the hit, and depending on the force of the hit, the tooth might still have damage. A tooth intact after a hard hit might have damage that isn’t visible to the eye. It’s important to contact a doctor to prevent the loose tooth from developing more damage.
A Broken Tooth
A tooth that is broken consists of a piece that is knocked out and/or exposing the root and pulp. If your child's tooth is broken, the pain will be severe and you will need to visit a dentist ASAP. If the broken tooth is left untreated, this can lead to severe pain, infection and the potential medical emergency.
A Chipped Tooth
Depending on the severity, if your child’s adult tooth as a chip in it, it can cause some pain and discomfort. A chipped tooth can be repaired depending on how bad the chip is, the dentist will be able to repair the tooth structure to prevent any more damage. For a chipped baby tooth, the doctor will be able to smooth any of the rough edges down and polish it.
If your child has a dental injury, it’s important to contact the dentist as soon as possible as this can help prevent further injury. In many cases, the dentist will x-ray the area of the teeth that are affected to determine how severe the situation is. They will then come up with a treatment plane and get them on the road to recovery. For pediatric dentistry services, contact the team at the Children's Dental Specialists today.
