Your Toddler Chipped a Tooth? What to Do Next

DISCLOSURE:Noelle Copeland RDH is an Oral Care Specialist and Dental Consultant who provides content for Brilliant Oral Care and Baby Buddy.

A chipped tooth can be alarming for a parent to see in their toddler’s mouth, especially if it’s accompanied by bleeding or another injury. Just know that any trauma to the mouth, even small ones, usually produces a lot more bleeding than you would expect, and it’s completely normal but can be offsetting for first-time parents.

If your little one escapes childhood without any chipped teeth or mouth trauma, consider it a blessing. Chipped baby teeth can happen quickly and are often harmless rights of passage to waddling, toddling, and becoming tiny mobile humans.

One day we're encouraging them to take their first steps, and before we know it, we're designating corralled "safe spaces" for play.

If your child chips a tooth, it will most likely be a front tooth, but molars can chip too. If a tooth is chipped, assess the following:

• Is it painful?
  If so, a dental visit may be necessary. This is a great time to remind you that finding a pediatric dentist amid trauma is not the best way to "Visit The Dentist" for the first time. So... establish this relationship beforehand.

• Is there tissue damage, bleeding, and open mouth wound?
  If yes, then see your dentist as soon as possible. The tooth could be chipped and loosened in the bone socket, which is a more severe type of mouth issue to deal with.

• If a "chipped tooth” goes underneath the gum line, try to find the chipped piece, clean it, place the chipped part of the tooth into a cup of milk and get to the dentist as soon as possible.
• A chipped piece of a tooth on a molar chewing tooth is suspicious of having a cavity. Although this can also happen from biting or chewing on non-food items or biting a piece of hard candy, even grinding the teeth ( yes, children sometimes grind their teeth) can cause molars to chip and break.

Loosened Teeth

Teeth that get entirely knocked out or traumatically loosened can often be put right back into the socket. Believe it or not, tiny fibers of tissue and blood vessels will reattach and hold the tooth in place. Frequently the tooth will become darker because parts of the tooth become filled with blood and dead tissue. However, it's better to have the natural tooth in place, and the tissue than to have a prematurely lost baby tooth and open space. This also can be applied to permanent teeth.

If you have a young child who accidentally has a permanent tooth knocked out. It's better to get the natural tooth back in the mouth to heal. It will change color some, but as long as infection is not a concern, the tooth will be ok. And eventually, in the future, a more permanent solution can be applied to address the look and color of the tooth.

If you were looking for better and healthier ways to establish an effective home care routine, you found the right place. If you want the best baby finger toothbrush, the best toothbrush for kids, adults, or that special someone in your life, look no further than Brilliant Oral Care. Our round head toothbrush not only removes the plaque on teeth, it simultaneously cleans and removes the plaque and bacteria found on the cheeks, gums, teeth, and tongue. It’s the softest toothbrush for sensitive teeth and gums. Don’t forget to #BRUSHBRILLIANT.

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