Caring for dental injuries

Fact Checked

There are various types of dental injuries that you should be familiar with. The common injuries include falls, direct blows to the face or sports accidents. A tooth can end up damaged if an individual eats something hard.

Dental injuries which includes the teeth or the mouth can result to swelling and bleeding as well as the following:

• Loose tooth
• Cracked or broken tooth
• Knocked out tooth
• Root damage

Milk teeth

• If one of the first teeth of a child was knocked out, the dentist will not attempt to restore it back in place. The space is left untouched until the permanent tooth erupts.
• If one of the adult teeth of the child was knocked out, simply follow the measures below.
• If in pain, consult a dentist if pain medications can be used.

  

Adult teeth

• When an adult tooth has been banged out, do not discard it.
• Consult a dentist as soon as possible since tooth that has been knocked out can be restored back in place.
• When handling the tooth, it must be done carefully by holding on the white part of the tooth. If possible, do not touch the root of the tooth.
• Do not scrub the tooth or rinse it with water. In case there is dirt on the tooth, simply rinse it gently using milk. In case milk is not on hand, utilize saliva or a sterile saline solution.
• If possible, you can drive the tooth back into the hole where it came from. This should be done in a gentle manner until a click is heard or the tooth is in level with the other teeth. Instruct the individual to bite down gently on a clean cloth while on the way to the dentist for further assessment.
• If it is not likely to restore the tooth back in its place, immerse it in a container with milk right away and go to a dentist along with the tooth.
• In case sterile saline solution or milk is not available, place the tooth carefully in the mouth between the cheek and gum and go to a dentist. The individual should be careful not to swallow the tooth.
• A plastic wrap can be used to protect the tooth. Just spit some saliva into the plastic before the tooth is wrapped.
• Do not store the tooth in water since this can damage its delicate cells.
• In case the tooth is damaged and pieces have fragmented, these should be immersed in milk or sterile saline solution and bring it to the dentist.
• If swelling is present, you can utilize a cold compress that is applied on the side of the face to reduce the pain and swelling. Simply wrap an ice pack using a cloth before it is placed against the skin.