You may not believe it, but tooth injuries are a huge risk for kids of all ages.
Children are born with 20 baby teeth and get their permanent teeth at around age 6. The first set of baby teeth can come in as early as 3 years old, and they’re shed in favor of the permanent ones by age 12.
As a pediatric dentist, I want to help parents minimize the risk of their kids getting preventable tooth injuries while they’re enjoying what childhood has to offer.
The Main Tooth Injury Risks
For babies and toddlers, the majority of tooth injuries happen from a slip in the bathtub. Keeping a close eye on them while they’re in the tub will help, as will a non-slip bath mat.
Playground equipment is a common cause of tooth injuries in older kids, including monkey bars, jungle gyms, and even swings. Make sure to talk about safety with the kids when they’re playing on this kind of equipment. Balls and frisbees are also a risk, so stress the importance of not aiming for each other’s heads when playing with them.
Plan for an Accident
When it comes to tooth accidents, it's best to be prepared.
Even when you're careful, accidents can still happen. So make an emergency plan. When a tooth gets knocked out and it wasn't a baby tooth that was already loose, try to put it back in the socket and get to the dentist. Store it in a glass of milk if it won't go back in.
We can also protect our kids' teeth by keeping them healthy! Healthy teeth are less vulnerable to getting knocked out than teeth weakened by decay and gum disease.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.