Dental Fractures And Avulsions In Kids: What Should Parents Do?

Dental Trauma And Tooth Fracture In Children

Children are more susceptible to dental fractures and avulsions fractures than adults, and boys are more susceptible than girls.
So as a parent you need to know how you can manage dental trauma and tooth fractures correctly and without having a panic attack.
Visit your children’s dentist as soon as possible after any dental Injury
But before we can jump to the treatment of dental traumas and tooth fractures, we must answer some questions.

• What are the most common types of dental fracture / dental trauma?
• What if your child’s tooth came out of the socket, what should you do?
• Can the tooth fracture be healed on its own?
• Can we save a fractured tooth?

The Most Common Types of Dental Fractures/Dental trauma:

Minor injuries include:

1. Concussion (when the ligaments that hold the tooth in place are damaged but the tooth is not displaced)
2. Craze lines (surface-level cracks)
3. Enamel fractures (break of the thin outer covering of the tooth)
4. Enamel and dentin fractures (dentin is the part of the tooth beneath the enamel)

Moderate injuries

1. Subluxation (when the surrounding tissue of the tooth is injured and there is slight mobility but the tooth didn’t displace) 
2. Enamel/dentin/pulp involvement (exposure can often cause sensitivity or pain)

Major injuries

1. Luxation occurs when the impact causes damage to the tissues, ligaments, and bone that hold the tooth in place.
2. Avulsions (Tooth is knocked out of socket, when this is a permanent tooth you must seek immediate treatment)
3. Alveolar fractures (bone fractures)

Don’t panic when your child’s deciduous (baby) tooth comes out of the socket after a trauma – it is meant to be replaced.  Deciduous (primary/baby)  teeth are never repositioned back in the socket, they are discarded.

First-Aid for a permanent tooth that came out of the socket

1. Wash the tooth under cold running water for ten seconds and reposition it back in the socket.
2. If repositioning the tooth is not possible, you should store the tooth in a glass of milk, Hank’s balanced solution, saline or your child’s saliva. Avoid storage in water.

Can a tooth fracture heal on its own?

The simple answer is NO, you have to visit your dentist to assess your condition and provide the necessary treatment and restorations.

Can we save a fractured tooth?

First, you need to search for the fractured part and go to your dentist immediately. Your dentist will try to reposition the fractured part of your child’s tooth to restore the aesthetics, as well as try to preserve the tooth’s vitality. If you cannot find the fractured fragment don’t worry, the dentist will restore it with a proper restoration (composite resin material or porcelain crown) or extract the tooth if it was fractured to the root. Restoration will follow if the tooth is extracted (dental bridge or dental implant).

Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries in children

If the child is subjected to dental trauma or tooth fracture, the first thing to do is to search for the missing tooth fragment if the tooth is fractured. If it is not found, the patient may have swallowed it or it may be impeded in the lacerated tissues such as injured lips. Also, search for the tooth itself if it completely came out of the socket.

Management of dental trauma and tooth fracture is completed professionally in the dental office for kids in Jersey City NJ so let’s inform you of what is going to happen.

Radiographic (X-ray) examination is a MUST in all dental injuries in both adults and children so that the dentist can check the periodontal (gum) health as well as the root and pulp development. This will ensure appropriate follow-up treatment.