My child broke a tooth: what to do?

When they are small, children do not always have the reflex to protect their face. Their lack of coordination is conducive to shocks, and growing up, they become real daredevils and do not hesitate to take risks without really being aware of the danger. Result, during a bicycle ride, rollerblading, at home or playing in the playground, it happens that the children break a tooth by falling.

What are the consequences for its teeth?

It all depends on the type of fall and age of your child. The younger it is, the more the consequences can be significant on its teeth: the incisor can for example move backwards or the front, which can have an impact on the final tooth. When the fall is violent, the tooth can fall, celebrate or be broken in part. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that there is no infection in the months following the accident and verify that the germ of the final tooth is not damaged.

How to react if the milk tooth is broken?

If your child broke a milk tooth, it is recommended to consult a dental surgeon quickly, at the latest within 24 hours of the accident. In the meantime, start by cleaning your child’s mouth, especially if it is bleeding. Using a compress soaked in an alcohol -free mouthwash, pass on your teeth to disinfect, and (exceptionally), do not brush your teeth until the visit to the dentist. The latter will make a radio to verify that the final 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 yourself if it fell, at the risk of infecting the germ of the final tooth.

• If it is a milk tooth And that your child is over three and a half years old, the dental surgeon will be able to put a pediatric prosthesis in order to keep the right space between the teeth, until the final tooth pushes around the age of 7 years.

Has your child lost a final tooth?

• If the permanent tooth has fallen Following a shock or an accident, it is sometimes possible to put it back in place but it is necessary to act quickly. Then go to your dentist in the hour following the fall of the tooth so that he can fix it again, having every chance of keeping it alive. Also, place it immediately in UHT milk (to avoid dry), or physiological serum, without touching the roots.
• If the final tooth is brokenknow that it can sometimes be fractured without anyone noticing, especially in the root or dental pulp. In this case, the dentist can offer a temporary crown to your child. Reconstruction can be done afterwards, when the child’s dentition is final. When the root is intact but the tooth has received a violent shock, it is possible to devitalize the tooth (the surgeon suppresses the nerve) under local anesthesia, which then allows to avoid overlapping of the teeth.
• If the tooth is partly broken And that the dental pulp is intact, it is possible to glue the fragment or reconstruct the tooth with a white material, close to dental enamel, which the dental surgeon sticks using an ultra-resistant resin. On the other hand, in the event of infection on the broken tooth, the dentist will have to make an extraction of the damaged tooth, still under local anesthesia.

Subsequently and whatever the treatment chosen, the child will have to consult regularly: every month during the first quarter, then every three months and finally, once a year, in order to verify the evolution of his teeth until the arrival of the final teeth.

Insurance and administrative papers: what to know

If your toddler has broken a tooth, it is not enough to take him consult his dentist. Once the appointment is made, also consider making an accident declaration to your insurance. Indeed, a shock or a trauma on a milk tooth can have consequences later, which may, depending on the case, appear around the age of 8-9. Also, to be sure that care is taken care of and to be reimbursed in the event of complications for the years that follow, it is better to send the documents in time.

If your child is greater and broke a final tooth, also send a declaration of dental trauma to your health insurance, even if the immediate damage seems minimal. Depending on the situations, especially if your toddler has fallen into the playground, have school insurance play.