“Accidents happen” is one of those phrases we casually throw around without thinking. But the reality is that accidents can have quite serious consequences for our teeth. The good news is that much of the trauma to teeth in an injury can be minimised if you know what precautions to take and what to do in the unfortunate event of damage to your teeth.

After a fall don’t assume anything

Many times after a fall people feel reassured that nothing happened, after a looks in the mirror, when they find that the teeth are in one piece. But teeth can be cracked, chipped or become loose from accidents in ways not visible to the naked eye, and failure to get them checked out quickly by Dr. Kaufman, may lead to long term damage, which could have been avoided with the right treatment. But there’s also quite a bit you can do before you reach Tooronga Family Dentistry.

Children

You only need to be around babies or toddlers for a short while to realise that bumps, knocks and spills are a standard part of growing up. If your child knocks out a tooth, quickly following these steps, can minimise longterm damage. When a tooth came out of the moth following a trauma:

1. Find the tooth, make sure it’s clean and hold it by the crown only, not the root which was in the bone.
2. If the tooth is dirty or has visible dirt on it, rinse it under clean runnig water, but don’t scrub or touch the root.
3. Try to place the tooth back in the mouth in the same position it was, making sure it’s facing the right way round. A simple way to check that it is in the right direction, is to look at the adjacent teeth.
4.  if it’s a baby tooth, don’t place it back in, place it in a bag and bring it with you.
5. Call us straight away.
6. If you can’t replant the tooth, transport it in milk. If the mouth is not swollen and the child is old enough to keep the tooth in his mouth without swallowing it, the tooth can be held in the mouth too.

Dental trauma can also take other forms.

If your child develops a toothache after a fall, book an appointment with Tooronga Family Dentistry straight away; in the meantime, rinse your child’s mouth with salt water( one teaspoon of salt in a cup of lukewarm water), use paracetamol to alleviate pain and if there’s swelling present, use a cold compress. This doesn’t apply to babies who are teething.

If your child’s braces or retainer becomes broken or bent, keep it out of the mouth until it’s been fitted or adjusted by Dr. Kaufman.

Adults

It is important to act quickly and see Dr. Kaufman as quickly as possible, ideally within 30 minutes of the trauma. As the time span from the trauma increase the risk that the teeth will be permanently damaged increases.

1. Find the tooth and hold it by the crown only, not the root.
2.  If the tooth is dirty, rinse it under clean running water but don’t scrub or soak it.
3.  Try to place the tooth back in position, making sure it’s facing the right way round; once in, gently bite down on soft cloth or tissue, or you can use aluminium foil or your mouthguard to hold it in place.
4. Call us straight away.
5. If you can’t replant the tooth, transport it in milk or saliva.