My Child Bumped Her Mouth On The Bathtub. What Should I Do?
Bumps and knocks to the front teeth are one of the most common concerns that we see children for in our Princeton pediatric dentist office. More often than not, the bump happens from a fall in the bathtub, a baseball getting caught the wrong way, or even an automobile wreck.
First: Check the Tooth
Does the tooth appear to be fractured? Did it get knocked out? Any tooth fragments should be immediately stored in milk or saline and brought to our office. If it appears intact, check for any signs of mobility.
Loose teeth may need to be splinted in our office so that they do not fall out prematurely.
Second: Monitor The Tooth For Any Changes
Ask your child if anything hurts. Each day, assess the tooth for any changes in color or swelling around it. Color changes are typically obvious, as the tooth will stand out compared to the teeth around it. Notify your child’s dentist of any symptoms of discoloration, abscesses, or mobility.
Third: Schedule An Exam And X-Ray
If the tooth has started to turn colors or develops a small pimple (indicating an underlying abscess) along the gums, call our office immediately. Some traumatized teeth never progress to this point, but if they do, it indicates a risk to neighboring teeth.
Depending on the age of your child, we may be able to repair the tooth or just monitor it for any new developments. A simple x-ray is usually all that is needed to see if a bumped tooth is experiencing any signs of nerve damage.
Schedule a preventive checkup for your child every six months to make sure irregularities or problems are diagnosed and addressed as early as possible. Call Montgomery Pediatric Dentistry today for more information.