Dental injuries

Children run, fall and play, and sometimes a tooth takes a knock. A tooth can break, become loose, come out or be pushed into the gum. Time matters in these cases: the sooner the child is examined, the more options remain.

First steps

• Calm the child and rinse their mouth with clean water
• If there is bleeding, press gently with a clean tissue
• If you find a broken piece of tooth, keep it in milk or saline
• Do not try to put a knocked-out baby tooth back: this can harm the permanent tooth underneath
• If a permanent tooth is knocked out, hold it by the crown, do not touch the root, keep it in milk or saline and come straight away
• If there is loss of consciousness, vomiting or a severe headache, go to emergency services first

What we do at the examination

We check the teeth and the surrounding tissues and take an X-ray to assess the root and the developing permanent tooth. Then we plan the necessary treatment and keep an eye on the tooth’s colour and sensitivity over the following weeks.