Did you know that on average 1 in 12 children in Ireland will break a permanent tooth before the age of 15?
Ensure your child wears a mouth guard while playing sports. A mouth guard can protect your child’s teeth and mouth from injury and may also reduce the risk of concussion should an accident occur. We recommend mouth guards that are custom made by your dentist because they fit better.
With children actively partaking in sport and play from an early age, you never know when a dental emergency may occur.
So, be sure to have your dentist’s telephone number to hand and check if the practice has an out-of-hours service.
Following these tips will help you to be prepared for the unexpected
Displaced Teeth:
If a tooth is pushed in or out, use light finger pressure to move the tooth back to its normal position. Do not force the tooth. Use a moist cloth or gauze to hold the tooth in place. See a dentist within 30 minutes.
Broken Tooth:
If a tooth is broken or chipped, see a dentist immediately. Try to find the broken or chipped portion of the tooth and take it with you.
Toothache:
To combat toothache, rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it. Use floss to remove any food that may be trapped between teeth. You may give your child a child-friendly painkiller, but you must visit your dentist immediately to find out the cause of the toothache.
Tears & Cuts:
For tears, cuts or punctures to the cheeks, lips or tongue, clean the wound immediately with warm water and then go to a hospital oremergency centre for treatment. If there is a cut to the tongue, pull the tongue forward and apply pressure to the area with clean gauze to stop the bleeding.
Knocked Out Tooth:
- If a tooth is knocked out, it is vital to get your child to the dentist IMMEDIATELY. If the dentist replants a knocked out tooth within 30 minutes, even up to one hour, it may be possible to save the tooth.
- Find and pick up the tooth by the enamel or top portion of the tooth to prevent damage to the root
- Handle the tooth as little as possible and do not touch the root
- If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it with cold running water for 10 seconds
- If possible, replace the rinsed tooth in the socket and hold it in place with your fingers. Ask your child to gently bite down on it
- If you cannot replace the tooth in the socket, keep it moist in a container of milk
- Transport the tooth to your dentist in a glass of milk or, in the case of an older child, in the child’s mouth (next to the cheek)
- For ‘baby’ teeth, do not try to replace the tooth in the socket. This could damage the formation of the permanent tooth bud
- Seek advice from your dentist as soon as possible
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