03 / HOLIDAY ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND YOUR DENTAL EMERGENCY KIT
D E N T A L S U R V I V A L G U I D E
03 / HOLIDAY ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND YOUR DENTAL EMERGENCY KIT
Winter holidays often mean more physical activity, backyard cricket, trampolining, playground visits in between the rainy days, and family sport. Dental injuries are more common than most parents expect, and knowing what to do in the first few minutes can genuinely be the difference between saving and losing a tooth.
The first rule is straightforward: if your child damages a baby tooth in a fall or accident, get it checked by a dentist. Even if the tooth looks fine and your child isn ' t in pain, trauma can cause colour changes weeks or months later as the nerve responds. A black or grey tooth following an accident means the nerve may have been damaged, and that needs prompt dental attention.
If an adult tooth is completely knocked out, time is everything. Pick it up by the crown( the part that is visible), never the root. If it ' s clean, try to reinsert it immediately and bite on a clean cloth while you head to the dentist. If it ' s dirty, short rinse in water is ok, but preferably milk or saline for no more than ten seconds, then replant it. If replanting isn ' t possible, store it in milk— never water, which damages the root cells— and get to a dentist immediately.
The faster a knocked-out adult tooth is replanted, the better its chance of survival.
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