Follow These Steps When Dealing With Children’s Chipped Teeth
Children are going to get hurt as they grow; it’s a natural consequence of being a kid. If your child chips or breaks a new permanent tooth, you need to treat it as a dental emergency. Take the following steps to minimize the pain and trauma of the injury. These steps may also help the dentist in repairing the damage.
Caring for Your Children’s Chipped Teeth
Right After The Accident
- Rinse out the mouth with warm salt water and don’t feel around the tooth with the tongue. The jagged edge could cause a cut. If there is any pain, you may give an over the counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. For the salt water rinse, mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a cup of water.
- If there is a jagged edge, get some paraffin wax and place it over the tooth. You can also put a piece of sugarless chewing gum over it. This helps protect the inside of the mouth from cuts.
- If possible, don’t eat anything. You don’t want to cause further damage with food. If you must eat, choose soft food. Avoid any foods that cause you to put pressure on your teeth, and avoid chewing on the side with the broken tooth.
- Try to recover the lost tooth and lightly rinse, don’t scrub it in water. You want to keep it free of dirt and germs.
- If you have it, keep the tooth fragment moist by wrapping it in a piece of cloth soaked in salt water.
- Get to the dentist within 30 minutes of the accident. If you phone ahead, the dentist will be able to have somebody ready to deal with the situation.
At The Dentist’s Office
The dentist will assess the damage and offer the best solution. There are a number of options:
- Dental filling
- Dental bonding
- Various types of caps or crowns
- Dental veneers
- Root canal therapy for severe injuries
Your dentist will make an assessment of the damage and offer the best solution.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with a chipped or cracked tooth. But, you can feel confident that if it does happen, your dentist will have safe and effective solutions.
Get Dental Care For Your Children’s Chipped Teeth
Are you now dealing with children’s chipped teeth? If you are in the NJ area and are in need of the best dentist who provides pediatric dentistry, contact Suburban Essex Dental. Dr. Paul Feldman has been voted “Top Dentist” in the New Jersey Monthly since 2012. Suburban Essex Dental is located in West Orange, NJ in Suburban Essex County.
