Can you fix a broken children’s tooth?
When they are small, children do not always have the reflex to protect their face. Their lack of coordination is conducive to shocks, and as they grow up, they become real daredevils and do not hesitate to take risks without really being aware of the danger. Result, during a bike ride, rollerblading, at home or playing in the playground, it happens that children break a tooth while falling.
What are the consequences for his teeth?
It all depends on the type of fall and the age of your child. The younger they are, the more significant the consequences can be on their teeth: the incisor can for example move backwards or forwards, which can have an impact on the permanent tooth. When the fall is violent, the tooth can fall out, crack or be partially broken. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that there is no infection the months following the accident and to check that the germ of the permanent tooth is not damaged.
How to react if a baby tooth is broken?
If your child has broken a baby tooth, it is recommended to consult a dental surgeon quickly, at the latest within 24 hours following the accident. In the meantime, start by cleaning your child's mouth, especially if he is bleeding. Using a compress soaked in an alcohol-free mouthwash, go over his teeth to disinfect, and (exceptionally), do not brush his teeth until the visit to the dentist. The latter will perform an X-ray to verify that the permanent tooth has not been affected. He will also be able to see if the tooth has not sunk into the gum. In any case, do not try to put the tooth back yourself if it has fallen out, at the risk of infecting the germ of the permanent tooth.
If it is a baby tooth and your child is over three and a half years old, the dental surgeon can put a pediatric prosthesis in order to keep the right space between the teeth, until the tooth finally pushes back around the age of 7 years.
Has your child lost a permanent tooth?
If the permanent tooth has fallen out following a shock or an accident, it is sometimes possible to put it back in place, but you have to act quickly. Then go to your dentist within the hour following the fall of the tooth so that he can fix it again with every chance of keeping it alive. Also, immediately place it in UHT milk (to avoid dryness), or saline, without touching the roots.
If the permanent tooth is broken, be aware that it can sometimes be fractured without anyone noticing, especially at the level of the root or the dental pulp. In this case, the dentist may suggest a temporary crown for your child. A reconstruction can be done later, when the child's teeth are final. When the root is intact but the tooth has received a violent shock, it is possible to devitalize the tooth (the surgeon removes the nerve) under local anesthesia, which subsequently makes it possible to avoid the overlapping of the teeth.
If the tooth is partly broken and the dental pulp is intact, it is possible to reattach the fragment or to reconstitute the tooth with a white material, close to the dental enamel, which the dental surgeon glues with the help of an ultra-resistant resin. On the other hand, in the event of infection on the broken tooth, the dentist will have to carry out an extraction of the damaged tooth, always under local anesthesia.