Summer Can Mean More Dental Traumas, Especially in Kids

It is summertime!  Time to relax and hang out with your family and friends and to enjoy some downtime with your kids while they are out of school.  Unfortunately, summer also means an increased number of dental traumas, especially among children.  This is because kids are more likely to play outside during summer and to engage in activities that involve more physical contact.  This includes climbing trees, swimming in pools, playing sports such as baseball, soccer and football and just rough-housing in general.  While all this activity is great for their development, it also leaves them more at risk for dental traumas.

One way to cut down on the risk of dental traumas is to make sure that your child wears a protective mouthguard while participating in contact sports.  You can buy mouth guards at any sporting goods store, however, you can also get a custom fitted mouth guard from your dentist.  A custom fitted mouth guard is made especially to fit your child’s mouth and can be more effective in protecting their teeth from traumas and injuries.

However, even with the best of prevention, accidents can still occur.  Following are some tips on what to do about damaged teeth:

• If a tooth is broken, find the missing piece and go immediately to the dentist.  This is especially important if the tooth appears to be bleeding from the middle and not just at the gum line.
• If a tooth is knocked out, it is important to put it immediately back into place, then get to a dental office immediately.  If a tooth can be placed back into the mouth within a half-hour of the injury, a full recovery is much more likely.
• If a tooth is knocked out and cannot be put back into the mouth, place it in milk and go straight to the dentist.  Avoid touching the root of the tooth and do not clean it beyond rinsing it gently under water.

Hopefully, you wil not experience any dental traumas this summer!  However, if you do, it is good to know that many dental offices including Pure Dental Health in Atlanta offer extended hours and are available the same day to handle dental emergencies.  Have a great summer!