Recently we had a call from the mother of a teenager who had chipped his two front teeth playing football. This was a dental emergency, but unfortunately for him his dentist (in another practice I cannot mention) did not see it that way and when his mother took him in she was packed off and told to come back next week. She rang us a few days later to see if there was anything we could do. By that time of course the tooth had died because the root was exposed so there was not much we could do to save the original tooth and the boy would probably need root canal treatment when he is older.

That recent case made me realise that many people do not know that even in severe cases of chipped or even missing teeth you can save the teeth if you act swiftly. So that with that in mind here is what to do if you are around when anyone knocks out or chips their teeth:

What shall I do if my child's tooth is knocked out?

A knocked out permanent tooth is a dental emergency - baby teeth do not need to be put back in but quickly putting a permanent tooth back in its socket is key to preserving a tooth. A permanent tooth can often be saved if prompt action is taken and it is replaced within 30 minutes. To put back a missing tooth, please handle the tooth carefully and follow these steps:

1)    Hold the tooth by the crown NOT the root

2)    Rinse the tooth immediately with saline solution or milk (tap water should only be used as a last resort as it contains chlorine which can damage the root)

3)    Do not scrub the tooth but ensure that any dirt or debris is removed

4)    The best place to preserve the tooth on the way to the dentist is in its socket. If your child is old enough and mature enough not to swallow it, replace it gently, then have the child bite down on a gauze pad to keep it in place.

5)    If the tooth can't be re-inserted, put it in milk (which has the same chemical make-up as teeth and acts as a preservative) or if milk is not available put it inside your own mouth, between your cheek and lower gum and get to a dentist or hospital as soon as possible. Give your child a gauze pad or handkerchief to bite down on, which will help lessen the bleeding and ease the pain.

What shall I do if a permanent tooth is chipped or broken?

1)    Collect all the pieces of the tooth

2)    Rinse the damaged area of the mouth with warm water

3)    Give the child a cold compress to hold on the injured tooth

4)    See a dentist straight away. If the tooth is chipped badly and you can see pink on the bit of tooth that is left then that means the root is exposed on the tooth and the dentist will need to do some remedial work before the chipped pieces can be stuck back together.

What shall I do if my baby or toddler has injured their gums or teeth?

1)    If there's bleeding put cold water on gauze and apply pressure to the site

2)    To reduce swelling give your child ice to suck

3)    Call a dentist as he may want to see the child to assess the need for re-alignment or removal of a very loose tooth. If the child is very young, the dentist may recommend a spacer to keep the rest of the teeth in place until the permanent tooth appears.

4)    Over the following week watch for signs of an abcess such as fever and swollen or tender gums.

By the way we make mouthguards for around £60 so perhaps worth considering if you or your child are keen on sports! Not only that but we can make therm in all different colours including union jacks!