Childhood is a time of scraped knees, bruises, and bumps as kids explore their surroundings. As pediatric dentists, we aim to work with parents to reduce the chance that their children will sustain avoidable tooth injuries while they are still in their formative years.

When at all feasible, tooth damage should be avoided for oral health. Several dental injuries, commonly referred to as tooth trauma, can occur, including cracked, chipped, fractured, dislodged, broken, and knocked-out teeth.

Whether an emergency dentist waterloo visit or a normal dental appointment may be scheduled to treat the injured tooth depends on the type of tooth injury. A dental professional recommendation may be required if the tooth injury is complicated.

The mouth's soft tissues, such as the cheeks, tongue, and lips, may also be damaged when someone sustains a dental injury in addition to the tooth itself.

5 suggestions to avoid tooth damage

The following are five absolutely excellent suggestions that can be used to stop future tooth damage.

Put on a mouth guard. Wearing a mouth guard, when you are participating in sports, is the greatest approach to avoid tooth damage. A study published in Sports Health found that correctly fitted mouthguards do not significantly impair speech or airflow and can help prevent most injuries.

The Primary Risks of Tooth Injury

Most tooth injuries in infants and toddlers result from slipping in the bathtub. So a non-slip bath mat and keeping a close eye on them while in the tub will be helpful.

Older children frequently sustain tooth injuries from playground equipment, such as swings, monkey bars, and jungle gyms. When the kids are using this type of equipment, be sure to have a safety discussion with them. Also, stress the necessity of not aiming at each other's heads when using balls and Frisbees as they pose a risk.

Create an Accident Plan

Make an emergency plan because accidents can still happen even when we take care. For example, try to replace the tooth in the socket if it is knocked out and wasn't a baby tooth that was already loose before going to the dentist. Keep it in a glass of milk if it doesn't go back in.

Keeping our kids' teeth healthy will also help to protect them! Compared to teeth damaged by decay and gum disease, healthy teeth are less likely to fall out.

Put on a night guard. When preventing tooth injuries frequently occurring when someone grinds their teeth at night regularly, wearing a sleep guard can be quite helpful. In addition, put on a specific helmet.

Wearing a specifically designed helmet can help avoid any tooth damage from occurring when someone with a problem that could cause them to fall does so. Steer clear of chewing on or eating hard items. Many tooth injuries occur when someone eats hard things like nuts, hard candy, or even ice. To avoid further tooth injuries, chewing on hard things like pencils or cans must be altered or abandoned.

Take precautions at home. As many injuries occur at home, taking precautions can keep youngsters and the elderly from slipping or falling. It's also a good idea to install safety gates and padding on sharp furniture corners.

Other facial protection, such as mouthguards, may be required for kids doing activities like swimming or soccer. However, not all sports, including football, baseball, and lacrosse, require mouthguards, making them more vulnerable to mishaps and injuries.

A child is 60 times more likely to have a sports injury without a mouth guard, according to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation (NYSSF). Despite this, 67% of parents acknowledged that their kids do not use mouthguards during organized sports, according to the American Academy of Dentistry. The NYSSF predicted that youth athletic events would result in the loss of more than 3 million teeth the previous year.

Mouthguards are still affordable protective equipment that can stop a youngster from losing or chipping a tooth, even though sports equipment might be expensive. They are often one size fits all and can be purchased by parents at nearby sporting goods stores. Buy only those, nevertheless, that are approved by the American Dental Association (ADA).

With this seal, mouth guards might adhere to the dentistry industry's standards for safeguarding lips and teeth. In addition, pediatric dentists may frequently advise a bespoke mouth guard because it will better safeguard your child and is still far less expensive than the alternative, which is getting a replacement tooth.

The headgear

Wearing a helmet can help prevent accidents on the field or court. Helmets, especially those with a face guard, shield a child's entire head from harm. For example, it can stop your youngster from shattering or completely losing a tooth. Additionally, the delicate bones in the area of the eyes, nose, and jaw can be protected with a face shield. At any age, racquetballs, basketballs, and hockey pucks can seriously injure the face.

Risks and Rules

In addition to providing protection, promote safe play to prevent injury and good sportsmanship to deter aggressive play that might lead to harm. Knowing the regulations and potential risks is the best way to avoid sports injuries. To keep your youngster performing their best, teach them about potential outcomes and injury-prone situations.

The surroundings can affect the likelihood of dangers during play, including bumps, bruising, and knocked-out teeth. In the end, maintaining your child's teeth will keep them from breaking or chipping.

How do I handle a tooth extraction?

Keep your youngster calm, and don't let them panic in the first place. Re-implanting the tooth may be a parent's first instinct, but if it's filthy, it could spread infection. So instead, start rinsing the tooth while holding it by the crown rather than the root.

Then, until you can see a dentist kitchener keep it inside water, milk, or saliva, or you can store it between the lower lip and gum. Control the bleeding in your child's mouth by applying mild pressure and a cool compress while keeping the tooth wet. After the occurrence, make an emergency dental appointment for your child and call a dentist.