What to Do if Your Child Chips Their Tooth
It can be a scary situation for any parent when their child chips a tooth. What should you do? How much will it cost? All of these questions and more are likely running through your head. In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about what to do if your child chips their tooth!
How to tell if it’s just a Chip or if it needs to be Repaired
If you notice that your child has a chip, it’s important to be aware of the difference between if their tooth is broken or just chipped. A chipped tooth usually looks like there are two teeth side by side with only one visible. It can also look like someone took out some enamel from one part of the tooth and left another end still intact (this seems worse than it is). If this happens, you should see your dentist right away because that means that the pulp in the center is exposed, leading to an infection! On the other hand, if all parts of their teeth show no pain when drinking hot/cold liquids, then chances are pretty good it was just a small chip.
What to do if your Child’s Tooth is Chipped/Broken
If you’ve determined that it was a chip and not a broken tooth, the first thing you should do is make sure they don’t swallow any of their salivae. Saliva contains bacteria that can lead to an infection in the exposed pulp from the teeth being chipped. This sounds counter-intuitive but what you want them to do is spit out as much saliva as they can! The more saliva they have in their mouth, the higher the likelihood of them swallowing some when spitting out (which leads to an infection). After spitting out all possible saliva, rinse their mouths with water or milk (whichever one tastes better for your child) so there isn’t too much saliva on their teeth before putting them back in. If you don’t have milk at home, using water is fine as well!
What can you do to Prevent This
If they are still young, you should look into buying some sort of mouth guard to wear while they sleep at night. Many parents worry about the aesthetic appearance of their child wearing a mouthguard, but it’s better than having them chip another tooth or even break one! You can also try putting tennis balls in your child’s crib (if they’re old enough) so that when they start chewing on anything, like blankets, for example, the teeth don’t end up chipping again. If all else fails and this continues to happen, there is always the option of getting braces.
Signs of Severe Damage
If you notice that your child is experiencing severe pain, has trouble breathing/swallowing, or has visible parts of the tooth not showing anymore, then this means their tooth needs to be repaired right away! Go see your dentist as soon as possible. They will provide a temporary fix until you can get an appointment to have it properly repaired. If they chip their front teeth, the chances are that the tooth is more likely broken than just chipped. This is because front teeth (incisors) take most of the impact when children bite into things hard like ice cream or snacks.
Do you need an Emergency dental office?
The American Dental Association has a list of emergency dental providers that are open during non-business hours. If you’re in the U.S., check out their website here for more information! If you have a child that has chipped their tooth, it is important to know what to do with them immediately. It’s crucial not to panic and stay calm for the sake of your children if they are upset or crying. The best thing to do is take them in to see your dentist as soon as possible to be examined thoroughly and receive any necessary care such as fillings, root canal treatment, and crown placement. Establishing healthy dental habits for babies and kids is vital. Learn more at this website.
