How to Protect Against Childhood Tooth Injuries

Childhood is a time of scraped knees and bumps and bruises as kids run around discovering the world. As pediatric dentists, we 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

Even when we’re careful, accidents can still happen, so make an emergency plan. If 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.

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Dr. Edward Liu

Edward Liu, D.D.S., is a highly accomplished general and cosmetic dentist with over two decades of experience. A graduate of the University of Michigan, School of Dentistry, he earned his doctorate in 2000. Dr. Liu is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry and one of only 407 dentists in the U.S. and Canada to hold this title. He also achieved Mastership from the Academy of General Dentistry, an honor held by only 1% of dentists. His expertise in dental implants and sedation dentistry, combined with 1600 hours of continuing education, ensures exceptional patient care.