Summer and the long-awaited holidays are finally here! This beautiful season of heat, swimming pool, beach and ice cream also increases the incidence of dental trauma among children, who suffer falls while playing.
Therefore,
What should we do if we are on holiday and our child suffers a dental trauma?
Lo first What we need to do is to calm down. Don't panic. Soft tissues such as lips, frenulum or dental cheeks often bleed outrageously and swell after the trauma, but we must first make sure, after cleaning with a tissue or wet gauze, whether a visit to the hospital for stitches is necessary or whether we can control the bleeding ourselves.
Lo second is to assess the damage to the tooth area: has the tooth fractured, is it completely out of place or is it moving?
In the event that it has broken or partially fractured, what we should do is look for the fragment, put it in a container with milk, saline or saliva and go to a dental clinic, where we will assess the severity of the trauma to carry out the appropriate treatment. Don't worry, in the vast majority of cases the fragment can be reattached.
If the tooth has come out whole, and it is a permanent tooth, we must take the tooth and hold it by the crown without touching the root. If we dare, we should wash it with water -again without touching the root- and with the sink stopper on (so that it does not go down the drain), and reimplant it in its place. In the meantime, the child should bite down on a handkerchief to keep the tooth from coming out and go to the dental clinic as a matter of urgency.
If we don't dare, or it won't let us, we should put it in milk - and if it's skimmed and cold, even better - or in serum or saliva, and go to the clinic as a matter of urgency within an hour. In this case, it will be reimplanted and splinted so that the gum will reattach and the bone will regenerate.
In addition, if the blow has been directly to the chin or chin, the molars may have been fractured, so they would have pain when chewing. In these cases, you should visit a dental clinic as soon as possible.
And what to do next?
HygieneDental hygiene: In terms of dental hygiene, it is necessary to be more vigilant than ever in the following days, in order to prevent complications. Brushing should be done with a soft brush and disinfection with gauze with chlorhexidine, either liquid or gel, as recommended by the clinic based on their age, to help healing.
MobilityIf the tooth has some mobility after the blow, it is advisable not to let the baby use a soother or bottle for a few days so that the teeth can be repositioned correctly.
FeedingFor at least a week, we would recommend a soft diet and chopped up food to help the piece to attach.
LeisureAlthough it is usually the most difficult to comply with if it is a summer holiday, it is also important to avoid activities such as sport or dancing that could lead to another fall or direct blow to the mouth.
ControlIt is necessary to keep a special check on the damaged tooth and attend check-ups 7 days, one month, 6 months and one year after the trauma, as there may be late consequences. In the case of primary teeth, we will monitor them until the eruption of the permanent tooth to prevent permanent mobility, dental ankylosis, premature loss of the primary tooth, defects in the quality or quantity of the enamel and displacement of the position of the permanent tooth. Pulp necrosis can occur in both primary and permanent teeth, which can lead to discolouration and require treatment.
So, as you know, the most important thing is to stay calm. At the clinic we are used to dealing with this type of cases and they have a better prognosis than parents often think.
