Dental Trauma

Dental trauma involves damage to the teeth and the surrounding oral structures and can be presented in many different forms. Children often think they are invincible. It's not until a bone is broken or tooth is cracked that they realize they need to be more careful. And, sometime accidents just happen. Whatever the cause, children are typically at higher risk for dental injury than most adults.

Traumatic dental injuries often occur in accidents or with sports-related injuries. Chipped teeth account for the majority of all dental injuries. Dislodged or knocked-out teeth are examples of less frequent, but more severe injuries.

The treatment used to repair the damaged area depends on the type, location and severity of each injury. If your child has had any kind dental injury it is important to have our dentist evaluate the situation immediately. Even if the injury has no apparent signs of injury but only includes pain to the touch is reason enough to see our dentist as damage could be happening below the surface. Neighboring teeth may suffer an additional, unnoticed injury that will only be detected through a thorough dental exam. If your child has a cracked or injured tooth, schedule with us right away!

Preventing Dental Trauma in Children

The best treatment for trauma is prevention. There are many ways you can help your child protect his or her teeth. Children who are just learning to walk or run should be monitored closely. During this time in their lives it is easy to bump and stumble into and onto various objects. At this point in a child's life you become the prevention. As your children age and become involved in high contact sports or various types of play, they should wear protective mouth guards. Research has shown that the use of protective mouth guards significantly decrease the occurrence and severity of dental trauma.