TOOTH INJURY

Injury Definition

Types of Tooth Injuries

FIRST AID Advice for Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth:


WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR

Call your doctor now (night or day) if:

Call your doctor within 24 hours (between 9am and 4pm) if:

Call your doctor during weekday office hours if:

Parent care at home if:


HOME CARE ADVICE

  1. Local Cold: For pain, apply a piece of ice or a Popsicle to the injured gum area for 20 minutes.
  2. Pain Medicine: If it still hurts, give acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) or ibuprofen.
  3. Soft Diet: For any loose teeth, offer a soft diet for 3 days. By then, it should be tightened up.
  4. Call Your Dentist If:
    • Pain becomes severe
    • Tooth becomes sensitive to hot or cold fluids
    • Tooth becomes a darker color
    • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child becomes worse or develops any of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms.


REFERENCES

  1. Creighton PR. Common pediatric dental problems. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1998; 45:1579-1600.
  2. Fried I and Erickson P. Anterior tooth trauma in the primary dentition: Incidence, classification, treatment methods, and sequelae: A review of the literature. ASDC J Dent Child. 1995;62:256-261.
  3. Layug ML. Interim storage of avulsed permanent teeth. J Can Dent Assoc. 1998;64(5):357-63, 365-369.
  4. McTigue DJ. Diagnosis and management of dental injuries in children. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2000;47:1067-1084.
  5. Nowak AJ, Slayton RL. Trauma to primary teeth: Setting a steady management course for the office. Contemp Pediatr. 2002;19(11):99-118.
  6. Shusterman S. Pediatric dental update. Pediatr Rev. 1994;15:311-318.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.

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