Keep Your Teeth Safe This Summer: Be Prepared!

June marks the official start of summer and for many parents it's filled with celebrations and graduations as children finish the school year. June is also the month where our pediatric dentists begin to see an increase in dental emergencies, many due to pool injuries. This past weekend, in fact, Dr. Cortez received an emergency phone call from a young patient who dove to the bottom of the pool and hit her front teeth. He and one of our staff came to the office on Saturday to provide emergency care to fix her chipped teeth. 

Statistics show that during the summer we spend more time outdoors participating in a wide variety of water sports and swimming activities. Taking some simple safety precautions can make for great fun over the summer months.  

Water related dental injuries

Diving and jumping into shallow water are major causes of serious injuries. Surfacing from a pool or swimming with eyes closed can lead to a fractured tooth by hitting the concrete wall at the edge of a pool. Other severe injuries result from falling on slippery walkways, decks, diving boards and ladders.

Here are some tips if an injury occurs:

   1. Call our office immediately if a tooth injury occur- as time is critical when trying to save a knocked out tooth.  Whether the injury occurs after hours or during holidays we are always here to assist when an emergency occurs.

   2. Chipped or Broken Teeth. If your child has chipped or broken his tooth, rinse his mouth with warm water, then use a cold compress to reduce swelling. Try to locate and save the tooth fragment that broke off. 

    3. Knocked out Teeth. If your child’s tooth has been knocked out, find the tooth and place the tooth in a clean container with milk. If milk is not available, place the tooth in a clean container with the patient's own saliva. Do not scrub or clean the tooth with soap.

 

 

Avoiding Tooth Injuries
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recently released a guide for parents to help them handle common childhood dental emergencies.

You can help your child avoid some dental emergencies. Remind children to avoid running around wet slippery surfaces. Avoid diving into shallow pools and surfacing with eyes closed. If your child plays contact sports, have him or her wear a mouth guard.

For more information about water safety speak with your pediatric dentist, pediatrician, or check out the  “Sun and Water Safety Tips”   from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

3 Things to Do When Your Child Has a Mouth Injury

Don't Panic.... We’ve got you covered! 

As your dental home, one of the doctors from our practice is on call 24 hours a day /7 days a week for just this type of emergency.

• First, place a compress on area to absorb any blood and allow you to see what’s going on. Don't panic.
• Second, if there is a tooth missing, and you can locate it, place it in a Save a Tooth kit container, saliva, milk or water (in order by best choice) until you get to the dentist (some school nurses or sports coaches may have a tooth saving kit that contains a special solution to keep tooth alive).
• Third, contact our office answering service at (562) 377-1375 and the doctor on call will be contacted. The doctor will either tell you what to do or meet you at the office depending on the circumstances. Do not wait until the next day.

As parents, we are so excited to see our children reaching all the little milestones in their lives. 

Sleeping for more than three hours a night, first bath, rolls over, eating cereal, sitting up, crawling and then we see our child take their first steps! 

It’s so exciting and then... oh the things they can get into, the places they can go and the things in their way! It is so easy for them to toddle right over.

Our practice receives calls on a regular basis from frantic parents, just like the call I got in the evening last Fall from a friend who lives in San Diego. Her daughter, who had just begun to walk, had fallen and hit her face, there was blood all over her mouth and she didn't know what to do. So she did what most of us would do, call her dentist friend. Unfortunately, I had my phone turned off. (Since, I live 3 hours away she couldn't just drive her over. Pretty crazy these days that I couldn't be reached by phone but I wasn't on call for our office that weekend. I was spending time with my family paying no attention to my phone.) The next morning I listened to my messages and called her back. 

Here's the thing, as parents you are familiar with finding a pediatrician as soon as your baby is born. You take your child to see the pediatrician for routine visits and know that the pediatrician is also available when an emergency, such as a high fever or infection arises. Unfortunately many parents aren't given the knowledge of the same importance of having a dental home by age 1. Like the benefits of having a pediatrician,  the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a child establish a dental home by age 1 year or when the first tooth comes in to the mouth.  A dental home allows your child to receive preventative care beginning at age one year, achieve a good oral health foundation, attain comprehensive oral health care that is continuously accessible-so when your child experiences a dental emergency your dentist is available and for referral to other specialists when needed. 

Did you know that most teeth are injured due to a fall that occurs indoors with household items such as stairs or tables? 

Here are some statistics about tooth injuries:

• Injuries to the front baby teeth are most common in kids 2-3 years old, since they are still developing their motor coordination. Tooth injuries are one of the main reasons a parent may seek dental treatment for the first time.
• Riding a bicycle caused more than half of the outdoor tooth injuries to children 7-12 years of age.
• Children older than 13 years were more likely to be injures while playing sports. Baseball and basketball were associated with the largest number of injuries.
• Last year the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation estimated that more than 3 million teeth would be knocked out in youth sporting events.

As for my friend, good news, she didn't panic. She managed to get the bleeding to stop by applying some pressure and her daughter’s teeth had not broken or loosened. We talked a bit about what she could do to manage the discomfort and reassured her that more than likely her daughter was fine. Before we hung up she asked what she should look for. I told her that we look for swelling and loose teeth but since that wasn't the case with her daughter she should just watch for discoloration or graying of the tooth and then ended with what I tell all parents of young children…establish a dental home for your child so that you have a local doctor that your child can become familiar with and have access to in the case of an emergency. When a fall happens the pediatric dentist is your guide to caring for that injured child. 

What to do in an emergency from Pediatric Dental Specialists

Emergency Care
When your child needs urgent dental treatment, your pediatric dentist stands ready to help. Please keep the emergency number available and convenient.

Q: What should I do if my child's baby tooth is knocked out?

A: Contact your pediatric dentist as soon as possible.

Q: What should I do if my child's permanent tooth is knocked out?

A: Find the tooth and rinse it gently in cool water. (Do not scrub it or clean it with soap -- use just water!) If possible, replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean gauze or a wash cloth. If you can't put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk, saliva, or water. Get to the pediatric dental office immediately. (Call the emergency number if it's after hours.) The faster you act, the better your chances of saving the tooth.

Q: What if a tooth is chipped or fractured?

A: Contact your pediatric dentist immediately. Quick action can save the tooth, prevent infection and reduce the need for extensive dental treatment. Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling. If you can find the broken tooth fragment, bring it with you to the dentist.

Q: What about a severe blow to the head or jaw fracture?

A: Go immediately to the emergency room of your local hospital. A blow to the head can be life threatening.

Q: What if my child has a toothache?

A: Call your pediatric dentist and visit the office promptly. To comfort your child, rinse the mouth with water. Apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in a cloth. Do not put heat or aspirin on the sore area.

Q: Can dental injuries be prevented?

A: Absolutely! First, reduce oral injury in sports by wearing mouth guards. Second, always use a car seat for young children. Require seat belts for everyone else in the car. Third, child-proof your home to prevent falls, electrical injuries, and choking on small objects. Fourth, protect your child from unnecessary toothaches with regular dental visits to Pediatric Dental Specialists.

Emergency Care!

When your child needs urgent dental treatment, your pediatric dentist stands ready to help. Please keep the emergency number available and convenient.

Q: What should I do if my child's baby tooth is knocked out?

A: Contact your pediatric dentist as soon as possible.

Q: What should I do if my child's permanent tooth is knocked out?

A: Find the tooth and rinse it gently in cool water. (Do not scrub it or clean it with soap -- use just water!) If possible, replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean gauze or a wash cloth. If you can't put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk, saliva, or water. Get to the pediatric dental office immediately. (Call the emergency number if it's after hours.) The faster you act, the better your chances of saving the tooth.

Q: What if a tooth is chipped or fractured?

A: Contact your pediatric dentist immediately. Quick action can save the tooth, prevent infection and reduce the need for extensive dental treatment. Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling. If you can find the broken tooth fragment, bring it with you to the dentist.

Q: What about a severe blow to the head or jaw fracture?

A: Go immediately to the emergency room of your local hospital. A blow to the head can be life threatening.

Q: What if my child has a toothache?

A: Call your pediatric dentist and visit the office promptly. To comfort your child, rinse the mouth with water. Apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in a cloth. Do not put heat or aspirin on the sore area.

Q: Can dental injuries be prevented?

A: Absolutely! First, reduce oral injury in sports by wearing mouth guards. Second, always use a car seat for young children. Require seat belts for everyone else in the car. Third, child-proof your home to prevent falls, electrical injuries, and choking on small objects. Fourth, protect your child from unnecessary toothaches with regular dental visits and preventive care.

Gum Disease Can Sneak Up On You

You can feel it when you have a cavity. But unfortunately, gum disease can exist in your mouth without you realizing it. In fact, you can have the beginning stages of gum disease without noticing any pain or discomfort. Because of this, it’s very important to watch for the warning signs of the disease:

• Gums that appear red or swollen
• Gums that feel tender
• Gums that bleed easily (during brushing or flossing)
• Gums that recede or pull away from the teeth
• Persistent bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Any change in the way teeth come together in the biting position
• Any change in the way partial dentures fit

If you or someone in your family is showing these signs, make an appointment right away by calling (562) 377-1375. We can diagnose the problem, find out how far the disease has advanced, and start treatment.