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As a sports parent, you are ready for almost anything. Your trunk is packed with extra water bottles, a first-aid kit with bandages, and ice packs for bruises.
But if your child is playing hard on a field in Wilmington and takes a sudden elbow or ball to the face, would you know exactly what to do if a tooth gets broken or knocked completely out of place?
Having a strategy for emergency dental needs is critical, as immediate actions in the first 60 minutes play a huge role in oral health outcomes. Here are a few simple tips to help if a tooth gets knocked out.
Avoid Touching the Roots
If a permanent tooth gets knocked cleanly out of your child’s mouth, the absolute first rule is to stay calm and locate the tooth immediately. When you pick it up, never touch the root of the tooth. Instead, handle it by the crown. The root is covered in delicate, living cells called periodontal fibers that act like a natural glue. If you scrub, wipe, or touch the root with your bare hands, you will instantly kill those cells. Once those cells are disrupted, it’s virtually impossible to re-attach the tooth successfully.
Finding the Right Liquid Transport Solution
A knocked-out tooth begins to dry out and die within minutes if left in the open air. To keep the living cells alive while you drive to our office, you must submerge the tooth in a safe fluid. The absolute best option is a cold cup of regular cow’s milk, which matches the natural chemical balance of your mouth. If milk isn’t available at the field snack, have your child spit into a clean cup and submerge the tooth in their own saliva. Never store the tooth in regular tap water, as the chemical makeup can disrupt the cells.
The 60-Minute Surgical Countdown
When a tooth is completely dislodged, your phone’s timer starts ticking. The goal is to get your child and the preserved tooth into a dental chair within one hour of the initial impact. Within this golden 60-minute window, a dentist can often successfully slide the tooth back into its natural socket and splint it to the neighboring teeth. Over the next few weeks, the body can naturally fuse the bone back around the root, saving your child complex, expensive artificial tooth replacements.
Read More: Choosing a Family Dentist? Start with These Key Questions
Visit Us for Emergency Dental Care for Kids in Wilmington
Preparation helps you keep a clear head and best support your child if they face a dental emergency on the sports field. Dental sports injuries are stressful, but our dentist in Wilmington, NC, at Cory Williams DDS is here to help. We share important advice during your child’s regular checkups, and are ready to step in if a dental injury happens.
