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Chipping a tooth in childhood is a common thing. My son is 17 and recently chipped tooth while practicing with his drill rifle for a JROTC competition. Kids play hard at all ages; banging into something or falling down and chipping a tooth is likely to happen at any age.
“My daughter is such a daredevil. She leaps and has fallen so many times that I worry she’ll knock her teeth out,” mom Denise David told Mom.com about her toddler. For as common as it is, many parents wonder what to do if their child chips and injures a tooth.
What to do if your kid chips a tooth
The first thing to do if your child chips a tooth is to examine the situation. Rinse their mouth out with cool water, making sure they spit out the water with any remaining tooth or enamel fragments. If possible, preserve the piece of the tooth that chipped off so you can take it to the dentist.
While your first instinct may be to rush your child to the dentist, this might not be necessary. Be mindful of any swelling and use an ice bag to help reduce it. Once you assess the situation you can call your dentist and inquire if an office visit is necessary.
Does a chipped tooth need fixing?
Depending on what part of the tooth is chipped will determine whether or not it needs to be fixed. “There are essentially three layers to the part of the tooth that is visible in the mouth and can be chipped,” oral surgeon Justin Bonner told Mom.com, They are the enamel, the dentin, and the pulp.”
You want to protect the tooth when the enamel is chipped by either smoothing it out or adding tooth-colored filling to the area. “If the dentin is involved, the tooth will most likely be very sensitive in this area, but it is something that can also typically be repaired with a filling unless enough was chipped off to require a crown or veneer,” Bonner added.
Bonner warns that the worst type of tooth chip is one where the pulp is damaged. He notes that the area may be extremely sensitive and, “if untreated, will certainly become infected to some degree. This type of fracture will require a root canal and then a restoration to repair the tooth.”
What other steps to take when a tooth is damaged
It’s important to monitor the tooth once it’s injured. A severely injured or damaged tooth may become black from the inside out. This suggests that the tooth is dying. If the tooth dies without treatment, it can become very difficult to restore the color to a normal tooth-enamel shade.
The child can traumatize a tooth in other ways than just chipping it. I remember in elementary school rocking back on my chair, losing my balance, and crashing into the desk behind me. The impact was enough to traumatize the pulp and nerve without creating a chip in the tooth. I recall the darkening of my tooth over the next few days and having to go to the dentist to make sure it wouldn’t be a permanent issue.
Aside from monitoring a potentially traumatized chipped tooth, parents should make sure that children are comfortable. Use pediatric Motrin or Tylenol to assist with pain discomfort, use an ice pack to deal with any swelling, and feed your child soft foods until the pain subsides. Make sure to inquire with your pediatrician and/or pediatric dentist before administering any medications.
In most cases, a chipped tooth from a minor incident can be dealt with and your child will soon be smiling with that bright big smile of theirs once again. Just be ready for your child to ask whether or not the chip is worth putting under the pillow for the tooth fairy.
