Oral Care After Trauma
After a tooth has been bumped, chipped, or otherwise traumatized, we need to be extra careful with it to try to prevent it from becoming infected. After trauma, the ligament that holds the tooth is loosened, giving bacteria a chance to travel up the side of the root and infect it from the inside. To give the tooth the best chance of staying healthy, we need to reduce the number of bacteria in the area and to allow the ligament to tighten back up to the tooth. How do we do this?
1.
Great oral hygiene: Brush 3 to 4 times per day for the next 2 weeks.
2.
Swish for 30-60 seconds with hydrogen peroxide mixed 50%-50% with water or prescription Peridex rinse after each brushing. If your child is too young to swish, swab affected teeth's gum lines (front and back) with a Q-tip dipped in the rinse.
3.
Soft diet for 2 weeks: no biting into anything hard!
We will also need to see your child back at more frequent intervals for a few months to check the tooth that was traumatized.
Our schedule may be delayed in order to accommodate an injured child.
Please accept our apologies in advance should this occur during your appointment. We would do the same if your child were in need of
emergency treatment.
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