Your child came home from school, got a bowl of cereal, and bit into it. One of his teeth cracked, and he swallowed the cracked portion of tooth. His mouth hurts, and he can’t chew without pain. You immediately call the dentist Fonthill, but what should you do before you can see the dentist?
At Home
Keep the child calm. He’s going to be in a lot of pain, so reassure him that help is coming.
If the crack causes the tooth or gum to bleed, give the child a piece of folded gauze padding to soak up the blood. Have him gently bite down on the gauze to hold it in place.
When that’s accomplished, give him cold water or an ice pop to help with possible swelling. If he’s old enough to take it, ibuprofen will help with swelling as well.
Examine his mouth gently to ensure no piece of broken tooth has contused his lip, cheek, or gum.
Have the child place a piece of sugarless chewing gum over the cracked tooth to prevent damage to the cheek or gum before seeing the dentist.
If you can’t see the dentist until the next day, feed the child soft foods like mashed potatoes, grits, eggs, and such while chewing on the unhurt side of the mouth.
What The Dentist Will Do
Depending on where the crack is on the tooth and the size of the crack, the dentist Fonthill may be able to apply filling like he would with a cavity. He’ll polish the tooth before applying the filling.
Larger breaks or cracks that go down into the pulp of the tooth require other means of repair. If the nerve or the blood vessels inside the tooth are susceptible to infection, then a root canal is necessary. This cleans the tooth cavity of any infection. Then a crown will be placed where the tooth was. Contact Fonthill MarketPlace Dental at https://www.fonthilldentist.com to learn more.
