Common Illnesses & Injuries

Dental Emergencies

Injuries to the Soft Tissues of the Mouth

Injuries to the inside of the mouth include tears, puncture wounds, and lacerations to the cheek, lips, or tongue. They usually look worse than they are because the blood mixes with saliva and looks like a lot more blood than it really is.

The wound should be cleaned right away by rinsing with clear water. If it looks like stitches may be needed, a cold compress (outside the mouth) will keep swelling down and reduce bleeding. Bleeding from a tongue laceration can be reduced by pulling the tongue forward and using gauze to place pressure on the wound area. If it looks like stitches are needed, the child should be taken to the emergency room. Sometimes mouth wounds that look severe are treated without stitches. This decision requires the help of a doctor or dentist.

Injuries to Teeth

Injuries to the mouth may include teeth that are knocked out (evulsed), forced out of position (extruded) or broken (fractured). Sometimes lips, gums, or cheeks have cuts. Unless the child is showing signs of a head injury, the dental injuries should be treated as first, followed by the soft tissue injuries.

Evulsed (knocked out) Teeth

Sometimes a tooth that is knocked out can be saved, if you can get to a dentist right away. Follow the procedure below:

Immediately call your dentist for an emergency appointment.
Attempt to find the tooth.
Gently rinse--but do not scrub--the tooth to remove dirt or debris.
Place the clean tooth in your mouth between the cheek and gum.
If it is not possible to store the tooth in the mouth of the injured person, (e.g., young child) wrap the tooth in a clean cloth or gauze and immerse in milk. Do not attempt to replace the tooth into the socket. This could cause further damage.
If you think stitches are needed, call the dentist first, and then go to the ER. Stitches can wait a little longer than replacing the tooth, and not all tears and cuts need stitches. Your dentist can advise you and possibly prevent a trip to the ER. Again, if you think that your child has a head injury, handle that first.

Extruded (pushed out of place) Teeth

If the tooth is pushed out of place, either inward or outward:

Immediately call your dentist for an emergency appointment.
Put the tooth back into place with gentle pressure. Hold the tooth in place with a moist tissue or gauze.
If you think stitches are needed, call the dentist first, and then go to the ER. Stitches can wait a little longer than replacing the tooth and not all tears and cuts need stitches. It is vital that the injured individual be seen by a dentist within 30 minutes. Again, if you think that your child has a head injury, handle that first.

Fractured (broken) Teeth

How a fractured tooth is treated will depend on how badly it is broken. Regardless of the damage, a dentist should always determine treatment.

MINOR FRACTURE - Minor fractures can be repaired by your dentist, or left alone. In either case, you should treat the tooth with care for several days.

MODERATE FRACTURE - Moderate fractures include deeper damage to the enamel, dentin and/or pulp of the tooth. If the pulp is not permanently damaged, the tooth may be restored with a full permanent crown. If the pulp is damaged, further dental treatment will be required.

SEVERE FRACTURE - Severe fractures often mean there is a small chance of saving the tooth.

Prevention

If your child takes part in a lot of activities such as sports that might result in oral injuries, you can save a lot of pain, time, and money with a mouth guard. Click here for information about Mouth Guards.