Dental Trauma in Children

Dr Jasper Lee, associated dentist showing a young patient how to brush their teeth

Dental trauma in children

Most parents have experienced at some time or another, the stress of seeing their child knock their teeth and either fracture or loosen them.  Dental trauma in children can be stressful for the child and the parents.  It is important to ascertain the extent of the trauma soon after the incident, as the consequences may not always be apparent.

Fractures of the teeth are common.  Mild fractures can be either smoothed or restored.  Larger fractures however, can involve the pulp or ‘nerve’ of the teeth and often require more complex treatment.  Likewise, mild loosening, especially of baby teeth may resolve with a soft diet, and avoiding the injured teeth for a while.  However, more involved instances that involve bodily movement of the tooth into the socket or into a different position can tear the ligament around the tooth and the blood supply to the tooth, leading to potential death of the pulp.  This also happens in instances when the tooth is knocked out completely.

Regardless of the severity of the dental trauma, it is important to see a dentist as soon as possible.  The dentist can gauge the damage that has occurred, and provide an idea of possible consequences.  The traumatised teeth will require careful monitoring over time as pulp death and other consequences sometimes only present years after the original incident!

At SHDC we advise children wear custom-made mouthguards during contact sport, to reduce the risk of dental injury.  Mouthguards from the chemist or sports shop can be ok, but custom-made mouthguards provide the best possible protection for the teeth.  Parents often comment that they’ve much rather pay for a custom mouthguard for their child than the consequences of fractured or knocked out teeth!

If you would like to have a custom mouthguard made for your child, please call the practice on 8278 6858 to organise a consultation time.

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