My Child Chipped Their Tooth! Now What?

My Child Chipped Their Tooth! Now What?

By Ashley Valco

Like most Americans, I spent the weekend gardening and going to BBQ’s. Beautiful weather for a holiday weekend. One of the BBQ’s I went to had hundreds of water balloons and the kids were going crazy! A friends child was chasing the other kids and fell right on his face and hit his mouth on the stone that outlined the garden. 

Instant screaming ensued, from the child and the Grandmom, as well as a fountain of gushing blood. 

Now what?

Well, let's first make sure nothing was cut open. Luckily, a trip to the hospital on Memorial Weekend wasn’t in the cards for them. Once everyone had calmed down, and the blood had been cleaned off, we could assess the situation. Joey had a swollen lip, a cut tongue, and a chipped front tooth. 

The swelling will go down, the tongue will heal. While tissue trauma to the mouth bleeds very heavily, it also heals faster that any other place on the body. What about the tooth? 

I told Mom it would be all right to wait until tomorrow to get an appointment with Joey’s dentist. There are several different types of “chips” and they are determined by how many layers of the tooth are affected. This can only be seen by an x-ray. Therefore, it is necessary to take an x-ray of the tooth when they go into the office.

If he had a tiny chip on the edge of the tooth, and the x-ray looked fine, the dentist would probably smooth the edge so it isn’t jagged. 

If it was a larger chip it could be or become sensitive to cold air and water because of the exposed nerve. In this case the tooth might require more extensive treatment. 

The biggest concern is if a tooth is knocked out of the mouth or if it is knocked out of position.  In this case, time is of the essence.  You must get to the dentist or hospital within 90 minutes.  If the tooth has been fully knocked out of the mouth, placing it in a cup of Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution or milk will help maintain the tooth until a dentist can be seen.  When touching the tooth, try to hold the tooth by the crown (the part we see when a person smiles) instead of the root (the part that is inside the gum tissue).  

In Joey’s case it was a good sized chip and it was a little wiggly. Even though it is loose now, it can still repair itself and become tight again over time. It might become discolored as time passes depending on the trauma to the nerve inside. I believe Joey’s tooth will just need time to heal. The bone and tissue will tighten. His hygienist and dentist will closely examine it at every visit until it looks normal. 

Then it will just be a bad memory. 

Just keep in mind that the amount of blood you see after a fall is not an indicator to the amount of damage. The mouth bleeds very easily and it is very scary to the child and anyone observing, especially Mom. 

If after a fall, there are no serious cuts that would require immediate attention, apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and contact your child’s dentist. 

I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Weekend! Did you do anything special? 

Age One Dental Visit

By Ashley Valco

I am a new mom to a beautiful 10 month old baby boy. He is happy and healthy and very curious. Around 6 months of age the happy disappeared for a bit while we experienced the dreaded sleepless nights and unconsolable screaming that came along with some teeth. His bottom two teeth came through without a peep! In fact, I didn’t know he had them until he bit me! 

So, at this point, you may be thinking this is about teething. I will address that at some point in the future, but, not today... 

When my sons top two teeth came busting through with a vengeance, the first thing I noticed was the small yellow spot in the center of each one. I couldn’t believe it. Could he be missing the enamel from his teeth? I patiently waited until they were fully showing to determine what to do next. 

So, today, we will be talking about the importance of getting your little one to the dentist at age one, or within 6 months of the appearance of their first tooth.  

“What?”

“Age one?!” 

“But everyone else said age 3.... Even my pediatrician.” 

“What could you possibly do during a visit with a 12 month old??”

First and foremost, just like everything you have heard from the day you found out you were pregnant, each baby is an individual and should be treated as such.

My son, as an individual, needs a bit more diligence when it comes to keeping his teeth plaque free and watching his nutrition. If I wasn’t a dental hygienist I wouldn’t know that. I actually wouldn’t know until I brought him to his first dental exam. And if I had listened to my pediatrician, that would have been at age 3. But, by then he could have had two large cavities. What a terrible way to start off the dental experience. 

Supporters of the age one dental exam:

• AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• ADA (American Dental Association)
• AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry)
• ADHA (American Dental Hygiene Association)

Why you should bring your little one to the dentist by age one:

• Assessment of the needs and treatment that are specific to your child. 
• Cavities are preventable. 
• Baby teeth are important and are present until age 12. 
• The health of baby teeth can effect the health of adult teeth. 
• Cavities in baby teeth can lead to problems including growth, development, and self-esteem.
• Decrease in health care costs. 

What you should expect during this visit:

• Discussion about oral health care and nutrition that can effect overall health and dental health.
• Current habits like thumb sucking or pacifier. 
• Discussion about tooth development and if your specific child needs fluoride. 
• An exam.
• Fluoride treatment
• A cleaning if it is possible.
• Answering all of your questions and concerns. 

I know that was a lot to take in, but the bottom line is to not wait to get your little one into the dentist. We prefer to prevent cavities rather than treat them. And I am sure you, your child, and your wallet would prefer that too! 

Questions? Let me know!  You can comment in the comment section below!  Come back next week to discuss brushing problems & tips for all ages!!