Wednesday 17 February 2016

How to Handle Tooth Trauma

As kids head back to school, it is essential to remember that dental traumata can occur anytime, anywhere. 1 out of 10 children of 10- 11 years have a tooth emergency such as broken tooth, cracked tooth or a loosened tooth at home or at school.

A knocked-out tooth is a real dental emergency, and there’s a chance it can be protected if you know what to do correctly and quickly. The most significant apprehension should be taking the child for a kids dentist visit. Time is crucial and if you want the dentist to be able to reinsert and save the natural tooth. Ideally, a child needs to be taken to the dentist within 30 minutes of the mishap. 

When a tooth is knocked out, here are some steps recommended by Excel dental studio to make sure it is protected – or at least kept in the best condition – by the time the child see the dentist. 
·         Firstly, check to ensure the child doesn’t have a severe head, neck or other orofacial wounds.

·         Don’t worry about substituting a displaced baby tooth. Trying to reinsert it could harm the permanent shining white coming in after it.

·         To avoid germs entering the tooth, it should be held at the top, not the root. As per Dr. Bahl at Excel Dental Studio inMerrillville, the crown is the part of the tooth that is noticeable to the naked eye. Touching the root with bare hands could pass germs.

·         Clean debris from the tooth with the help of room temperature water. Don’t brush the root! Once the tooth is free from dirt, try to reinsert it again.

·         If the tooth is not reinserted successfully, it needs to stay moist until the child visits a dentist. Store the tooth in a clean bowl and cover it with milk to prevent it from exposure to air. 
According to Excel dental studio, tooth damages are not life threatening. But they have long-term effects on the child’s appearance and self-possession, so it is significant to act fast in the event of a dental crisis.