Does Your Child Have a Broken Tooth? Here’s What to Do

Children are very active beings and love to play around, and this can cause them to break their teeth accidentally. With a kid’s broken tooth in Queens, there are a lot of important measures that the parent has to take note of.

Kid Broken Tooth Causes

Having your tooth chipped or broken is not fun, especially for children. When it comes to a kid’s dental care, PCO Dental provides everything from routine preventive services to same-day appointments for emergency care. Our friendly team of orthodontists and dentists offer gentle treatment for those suffering from chipped and broken teeth. Here are some of the most common causes of a kid’s broken tooth.  

Erosion of enamel

The mineralized outer layer of teeth is called the enamel. It is comprised of strong minerals that serve as a protection to the softer structures inside the tooth against harmful bacteria that can produce cavities. Since the tooth enamel is quite strong, it helps prevent the teeth from getting chipped or broken. However, it can weaken over time, especially when it gets continuously exposed to acid.

The acid strips away the enamel’s mineral content, making it softer and weaker. As time passes, enamel loss can expose the teeth’s underlying structure, dentin, to oral bacteria that are cavity-causing. Weak enamel can leave one’s teeth more prone to chipping, cracking, breaking, and decay.

Facial trauma

One of the most common ways that can chip or break teeth is through traumatic facial injuries. A facial injury can happen as a result of an accidental fall, car wreck, or blunt force trauma from physical sports. Blunt force to the face can shift the teeth out of their place, as well as get broken or chipped. It is crucial to schedule an appointment with your dentist or orthodontist as soon as possible since facial trauma needs immediate professional attention.

Tooth decay

Untreated tooth decay is common reasoning as to why a child develops broken or chipped teeth. Not only does tooth decay mean that a portion of the tooth has gotten weak, but it also signifies that a cavity has created a depression in the tooth, resulting in exposed sensitive internal structures. Fractures and chipping is possible on teeth with untreated tooth decay, especially while eating crunchy or hard food.

What to Do With a Kid Broken Tooth

Parents love their kids a lot. That means that they worry about their kids a lot, too. When your child breaks a tooth, here’s what you need to do.

Remain calm

When your child’s tooth breaks, the first thing every parent should do is take a deep breath and stay calm. While the experience is more traumatic for the child since their tooth broke, parents have a tendency to be emotional about the situation. Staying cool and collective can prevent the situation from worsening and encourage your kid to stay calm.

Keep the fragment

If a portion of your child’s tooth breaks off, try and look for the missing piece and keep it. There are instances when the fragment of the chipped tooth can adhere back to the remaining structure of the tooth. Try to preserve the tooth fragment in a wet cloth or gauze, if possible.

Make them rinse

When handling a broken or chipped tooth, give your child warm water to rinse out their mouth so that the damaged area remains clean.

Use a cold compress

In specific situations, your child’s face can swell when sustaining a chipped tooth. Give them a cold compress to hold in place for about 15 minutes at a time to reduce the swelling on their face. Ensure not to place the cold compress directly onto the skin to prevent any nerve damage.

Give over-the-counter medication

You can offer your child some over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol, acetaminophen, or anything else that’s appropriate in order to help ease the pain coming from the injury.

Contact your dentist right away

Contact your dentist immediately and let them know what happened to your child’s tooth. Explain the situation so they can get a better insight and schedule an immediate appointment so that the chances of saving a broken tooth are more prominent.

How to Treat and Care for Your Child’s Broken Tooth

It’s important to get to the clinic after your child breaks a tooth so that they can assess and determine the full extent of the injury and detect any possible damage that’s less noticeable. 

How the orthodontist or dentist will treat your child’s tooth will depend on how the accident happened. If the tooth were only chipped, then a possible solution would be to fill the missing parts of the damaged tooth and polish the edges to be more smooth.

If the tooth is cracked, but there aren’t any damaged nerves, then they will most likely use a crown or filler to repair the broken tooth. However, if the tooth has some nerve damage, then it may be necessary to undergo a root canal treatment in Queens NY before applying a crown.

Care for a kid broken tooth also depends on the severity of the injury. If a tooth is chipped or fractured, or only the outer layer of the enamel was broken, then bondings or fillings may be all that is needed. If the injury exposes the yellow-colored dentin or red/pink-colored tooth pulp, then it may be required to go through pain management and antibiotics to avoid infection. If your child’s tooth is severely damaged, then it’s possible to require return visits to the dentist.

Avoid Kid Broken Tooth with PCO Dental!

Taking proper care when your child breaks their tooth is essential in protecting their teeth and helping them to prevent further damage or infection. Following these tips can help ensure that your kid’s broken tooth doesn’t worsen.

At PCO Dental, we are committed to helping your child have safe and effective orthodontic treatments. We utilize the latest technology, like digital X-rays and 3D imaging, to ensure that the treatment for kids is successful. Additionally, our staff is welcoming and friendly, so your child won’t feel nervous during their treatment.

Contact us today for more information about orthodontic treatment for kids in New York or to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping your child throughout their orthodontic journey!