Sustaining a blow to a tooth can be traumatic for an adult, but even more so for a child. Most parents will have a story to share of when their child lost a tooth tumbling into a table edge, slipping chin first onto the tiled kitchen floor, falling off their bike or being in the path of a flying football – and will probably admit that they didn’t know what to do about the dislodged or knocked out teeth.
Examine the mouth
Firstly, you need to assess the level of damage. Has the tooth just been knocked loose or has it been knocked out? Are there other facial injuries?
If the answer to the latter is yes, your first port of call will be a doctor. If it appears to be limited to the tooth, it is important to know if it is a baby tooth or a permanent one – and then call your dentist. At our central London specialist dental practice, we understand the nature of a dental emergency and will endeavour to see our patients accordingly.
If a baby tooth is lost during a dental trauma, there is no need to worry as it will present no difficulties for the child. A tooth that has been dislodged but not knocked out may have damaged a nerve or a neighbouring tooth and your dentist may suggest an x-ray to ascertain if this is the case.
Help! My child’s permanent tooth has come out…
The loss of a permanent tooth through trauma is a dental emergency so call your dental practice straight away for advice. It may be possible to re-implant the tooth so rinse it lightly with water, wrap it in a clean, moist cloth and take it with you.
At 76 Harley Street, we have brought together a team of experts into one specialist dental practice so our London patients can access the help they need when they need it.
