Dr.Girish Hattay and Associates

....your family dentist since 1989

Dental Emergencies

The last article was about prevention of dental problems, however some are accident related, for example in children who are not wearing protective gear while playing. With children engaging in activities such as street hockey, baseball and riding bicycles, etc. teeth could get knocked out while playing.

Any such teeth can be saved if they are reimplanted in time, either at the site of injury or later on in a dental office, if they are transported properly. The following hints will help improve the success in saving the teeth. The teeth should be rinsed, if dirty, carefully under tap water, with the sink plugged. Do not scrub the teeth. Then the teeth should be gently teased back into the socket and the patient transported to the dental office with the teeth held in position. If repositioning at site is not possible, the teeth should be placed in the buccal fold of the mouth. If there is a danger of swallowing due to the child's general condition, the teeth should be placed in a glass of cold milk or physiologic saline or wrapped in a plastic wrap or even a wet towel, then transported to the dental office. Some pain medication and application of colds packs externally will help to ease the suffering.

The dentist can reimplant the teeth correctly and splint them, until the teeth are firm. Later on these teeth may need root-canal treatment. All teeth cannot be saved and the chances of success depend on the way they are handled and the time passed before they are reimplanted. Sometimes the teeth may not be found and the chances that they may have been swallowed are real depending on the age of the child and the nature and severity of injury. In fact the teeth may have been pushed inside the socket along with a fracture of the alveolar bone.

In case the injury is of a serious nature it is prudent to go to the hospital emergency where an assessment can be made and the primary care given before the dental treatment. On the other hand, if the blow to the face is not severe the teeth may be slightly displaced or just loose, or may be fractured or chipped. Such teeth can be treated with a good rate of success. Damaged teeth may become discoloured later on and may need root-canal treatment and bleaching. Sometimes crowning is necessary.

Above all the best way to prevent injuries is to wear protection like mouth guards/face masks while engaging in these sporting activities. Better be safe than sorry!