General Dentistry

Playground tooth trauma and steps to take

Tooth injuries frequently occur from falling off playground swings, diving into shallow pools, baseball, skateboarding, in-line skating and bicycling.

• For ages 0-4, playground injuries to the brain and face account for nearly 60 percent of all injuries
• Every two-and-a-half minutes, a child is injured on a playground in North America
  
• Approximately 10 percent of children who participate in sports receive some type of injury to the face.
• 36 percent of injuries to children are sports related
• Five million teeth are knocked out each year

If a tooth is displaced (loose), push the tooth back into its original position, bite down so the tooth does not move, call us or visit the emergency room. We may splint the tooth in place to the two healthy teeth next to the loose tooth.

For a knocked-out tooth, pick the tooth up by the crown, NOT by the root - handling the root may damage the cells necessary for bone re-attachment and hinder the replant. If the tooth can not be replaced in its socket on site, do not let the tooth dry out. Place it in a container with a lid and use low-fat milk, saline solution or saliva. Visit the dentist as soon as possible - the longer the tooth is out of the mouth, the less likely the tooth will be able to be saved.

See Q&A for Emergency Dental First Aid Kit - you should always have one of these.

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