Common Summer Dental Injuries

…and how to avoid them!

Summer is a time when kids are very active outdoors, which we love!  In New England, we earn every minute of our summer outdoor time.  However, that increased activity level leads to an increase in dental injuries, including chipped and cracked teeth, dislodged teeth, jaw injuries, even concussion!

The activities we see the most injuries from include soccer, skateboarding, trampolines, bounce houses, and bicycle falls.

What to do:

Prevention is the first step!  If your child is participating in a sport, get them a mouthguard.  A well-fitted mouthguard can protect not just your child’s teeth, but their tongue, and jaw.  A mouthguard can even protect against a concussion because it limits the impact of jaw-on-jaw collision in the event of a hit to the head or fall.

Emergency Treatment:

If your child does knock out or chip a tooth, fear not.  We build time into our schedule every day to accommodate unexpected emergencies, just call us!  If they knock out a PERMANENT tooth, the most important thing is to try to keep the tooth in good condition.  NEVER pick the tooth up by the root, pick it up by the crown only.  Rinse it with water to keep it clean.  Keep the tooth or tooth fragment in milk to keep it hydrated. If possible, put the tooth back into the socket, and call our office immediately.

Remember, the best treatment is prevention!  Helmets, mouthguards, and caution are your 3 biggest allies.  Happy summer!