Chipping a tooth in childhood is a common thing. My son is 17 and recently chipped tooth while practicing with his drill rifle for a JROTC competition. Kids play hard at all ages; banging into something or falling down and chipping a tooth is likely to happen at any age.
“My daughter is such a daredevil. She leaps and has fallen so many times that I worry she’ll knock her teeth out,” mom Denise David told Mom.com about her toddler. For as common as it is, many parents wonder what to do if their child chips and injures a tooth.
What to do if your kid chips a tooth
What other steps to take when a tooth is damaged
It’s important to monitor the tooth once it’s injured. A severely injured or damaged tooth may become black from the inside out. This suggests that the tooth is dying. If the tooth dies without treatment, it can become very difficult to restore the color to a normal tooth-enamel shade.
The child can traumatize a tooth in other ways than just chipping it. I remember in elementary school rocking back on my chair, losing my balance, and crashing into the desk behind me. The impact was enough to traumatize the pulp and nerve without creating a chip in the tooth. I recall the darkening of my tooth over the next few days and having to go to the dentist to make sure it wouldn’t be a permanent issue.
Aside from monitoring a potentially traumatized chipped tooth, parents should make sure that children are comfortable. Use pediatric Motrin or Tylenol to assist with pain discomfort, use an ice pack to deal with any swelling, and feed your child soft foods until the pain subsides. Make sure to inquire with your pediatrician and/or pediatric dentist before administering any medications.
In most cases, a chipped tooth from a minor incident can be dealt with and your child will soon be smiling with that bright big smile of theirs once again. Just be ready for your child to ask whether or not the chip is worth putting under the pillow for the tooth fairy.
