. A small percentage of your purchase price will help support Oral Answers. Don't worry -- you'll still pay the same everyday low prices at Amazon.
What to Do When Your Child’s Baby Tooth Gets Knocked Out
What should you do when your child comes to you crying with a bloody mouth and a tooth in their hand? A normal reaction to this scenario is panic. However, if you know what steps to take, you could prevent permanent damage to your child's teeth.
The American Dental Association estimates that by the time kids graduate from high school, one in three boys and one in four girls will have suffered some sort of traumatic injury to their teeth. Also, baby teeth are a lot easier to knock out than permanent teeth because their crowns (the top part of the tooth that is visible in the mouth) are a lot longer than their roots (the bottom part of the tooth that's hidden under the gums.)
Most caring parents wonder what they should do when their child knocks out a tooth. It is critical that parents are informed so they do not inadvertently damage the permanent tooth that is developing underneath the baby tooth in their child's mouth.
A couple of days ago, I wrote about the steps you should take when a permanent tooth gets knocked out. With permanent teeth, you want to put them back in the socket as soon as possible. However, when you are dealing with a baby tooth you may not want to put it back in because you could end up damaging the permanent tooth that is still developing below your child's gum-line.
What to Do When Your Child's Baby Tooth Gets Knocked Out
First of all, when a tooth gets knocked out you need to find it. You need to make sure that the baby tooth was not accidentally breathed into the child's airway. In my pediatric dentistry textbook, Pediatric Dentistry: Infancy Through Adolescence by Pinkham it states the following:
Primary teeth [that are knocked out] should be accounted for to rule out potential aspiration. If the tooth cannot be found, the child should be referred for further evaluation by a pediatrician
If you can't find the tooth anywhere it is important to make sure that your child didn't accidentally breathe it in. Since children are still developing their reflexes, it may be easier for a child to breathe a tooth and get it lodged in their throat. This can cause difficulty breathing and even an infection in the lung if not promptly dealt with.
Next, you have two options:
1 - You can decide to simply get rid of the tooth and welcome an early visit from the tooth fairy. If your child's tooth was already loose because the permanent tooth below it is about to come in, then this may be the best option as the permanent tooth should erupt normally as long as the trauma wasn't severe. You should visit your dentist just to make sure everything is alright.
2 - You can try to save the tooth by having it re-implanted. If your child is only three years old and knocks out a tooth, it may be beneficial to try to re-implant it, however this is something that only your dentist and you can determine after talking about the risks and benefits. It is normally recommended to not re-implant primary teeth due to the damage that can be done to the permanent teeth that are developing underneath. However, there are many exceptions to this recommendation.
How to Proceed If You Want to Re-Implant the Knocked Out Baby Tooth
If you do want to have the dentist re-implant the tooth, there are reports that if the dentist can shorten the roots of the baby teeth, then damage may not be done to the developing permanent tooth. If the child is very young and would have to wait a few years for the permanent tooth to come in, then re-implantation of the knocked out tooth may be an excellent option.
Here's what this study by A Filippi determined about re-implanting knocked out baby teeth:
In addition to the successful replantation of avulsed permanent teeth, the replantation of primary anterior teeth may also be indicated. The decision is based on age and stage of tooth development, development of dentition, storage of the avulsed tooth and the way it is transported to the treatment site, the appropriate in vitro treatment of the tooth before reinsertion, and the willingness of the child to cooperate...As [with] any surgical intervention, the attending dentist in this case has to weigh the benefits against the risks.
Your dentist will be able to explain the risks and benefits to the parents.
If you want to try to save the tooth and have it re-implanted, the safest way to proceed is to simply deposit the tooth in an appropriate solution. A balanced salt solution is the absolute best way to keep the cells on the outside of the tooth alive. You can find a balanced salt solution, branded as Save-a-Tooth on Amazon and at many drugstores. It is also available at many schools, athletic facilities, and other places where teeth are frequently knocked out.
In order to try to have tooth re-implanted, you should call your dentist and get an appointment as soon as possible -- within hours. Studies have shown that if you wait more than two hours, the tooth will not be able to be re-implanted.
If your dentist is not available, he or she probably has a way to reach them in emergencies. Try to get in contact with them, or find another dentist that can re-implant the tooth as soon as possible. Time is of the essence since after more than a few hours, the cells on the tooth's root may die and re-implantation will no longer be an option.
Facts to Consider About a Knocked Out Baby Tooth
Here are some factors that will affect your child if they have a tooth knocked out:
- If their baby canines (the third tooth from the mid line on both sides) haven't come in yet, a tooth loss could make their jaw smaller, thus making it harder for the permanent teeth to eventually erupt into the mouth.
- If the baby incisors (the front four teeth) are lost before the child has mastered speech, his speech development may be affected temporarily until the permanent incisors come in.
- A study has shown that in 75% of the cases involving a knocked out baby incisor, the developing permanent tooth gets damaged. But this number depends a lot on the age of the child. If the tooth was knocked out before the kid is two years old, then there is a 95% chance that it will affect the developing permanent tooth. If it happens after age 5, then there is only an 18% chance that it will affect the developing permanent tooth.
Final Thoughts
In many dental emergencies, the parents want to get their child dental care as soon as possible and may go to the closest dentist, rather than their usual dentist. Be aware that when you take your child to a dentist who is not their primary dentist that you need to let the dentist know of any health problems or allergies that the child may have so that you can avoid complications to their treatment.
Have you ever experienced having a baby tooth knocked out? If so, please share your story in the comments so we all can learn from it. Thanks for reading!
Related posts:
Related posts:
133 Comments | Leave A Comment
Leave a Response
Hi, I'm Tom. I'm currently a 4th year dental student in the USA. I started this blog to help people take better care of their teeth. You can 
Entries(RSS)
Thanks for the information! I always am worried that my kids will get in some sort of accident and end up losing a tooth.
Hopefully it won't happen and I'll never have to apply this knowledge.
This was a very thorough article...I never even thought about a child aspirating a tooth! My younger sister had her baby tooth knocked out in a sledding incident when we were young and I don't think we ever found the one that was lost (the one next to it was chipped but repaired). Anyway, I feel more prepared after reading this article to deal with my own two children's possible dental injuries...and for a worrier like me, being prepared helps
I'm glad you enjoyed the article, Jane. Hopefully you'll never have to deal with a child knocking a tooth out. It's good that you are proactive and now know how to handle the situation should it ever occur. Thanks for the comment!
My 4yr old son fell last week on vacation and his two top front primary teeth were knocked out. We found the teeth, and a dentist in the area who re-inserted them within two hours. A week later, we are home and visited a pediatric dentist who told us she wanted to pull the teeth! I really don't want to pull them after all he's been through. Aren't there potential benefits to leaving them in, if we keep a close eye on them?
Hi Teresa - Sorry, for the delayed response, I've been visiting family this week.
I've just been through a three semester long class of pediatric dentistry. In it, we learned that when primary teeth get knocked out, it is best to leave them out.
This is because when they are re-inserted, it can cause harm to the permanent teeth that are developing under them.
Perhaps after taking x-rays, your pediatric dentist is concerned that when the teeth were re-inserted, they were put back in too close to the developing permanent teeth. They may damage or continue to damage the permanent teeth if they are left in.
I think the pediatric dentistry department at our school would also recommend pulling the teeth and inserting a small denture to replace the teeth until the permanent successors come in.
My 4 year old knocked his 2 front teeth out, cleanly (well, lots of blood, but the entirety of teeth and roots came out) about 5 weeks ago. Today, he had his first post-accident visit to his dentist (who said she did not need to see him right after the accident). The wounds healed nicely and there is no swelling or pain and the two canines are not loose. She wanted to take an xray, but after discussing it and the potential for damage to the permanent teeth, we declined. The only possible thing she would remedy is nerve damage to the permanent teeth, which she could not very well explain (root canal or some drug?). was it wrong to decline the xray? I also could not gauge from our discussion how likely an infection would be at this point, if my son is not in any pain whatsoever at this point. we don't agree to xrays just because, since radiation over a lifetime adds up.
any advice would be most appreciated.
Hi Lisa,
As long as the teeth broke cleanly and has healed well, an x-ray may not be needed. The dentist probably wanted to take the x-ray to ensure that there were no fragments of the baby tooth left and that the permanent teeth appear undamaged. In the book Pediatric Dentistry by Pinkham, it states "In about 75% of the cases involving avulsion of a primary incisor, the developing permanent successor is damaged."
Whether or not the permanent teeth are damaged depends on a lot of factors, including how the tooth was knocked out. If there is any damage, it would probably be a slight discoloration or small defect in the permanent teeth.
The major risk of x-rays is that the person receiving the radiation will develop some sort of cancer. In the book Clinical Problem Solving in Dentistry by Odell it states the following:
"The risk of developing malignancy from a periapical radiograph varies between 1 in 2 million to 1 in 20 million depending on the equipment used, the speed of the film and the length of the exposure time."
If an infection were to happen, it would most likely have happened from something getting into the wound when it was open. Now that it has healed, and since his gums aren't tender and swollen, then there is probably no need for an antibiotic. Generally, antibiotics are used in dentistry when bacteria have gotten into the bloodstream. Since the window for that to have happened has passed, then your son should be fine.
Depending on how it got knocked out, we learned that you always want to make sure that the child is up to date on his tetanus shot.
I'm not sure if you are taking your son to a general dentist or pediatric dentist, but I can tell you that pediatric dentists receive much more training in this area. If you want to put a small denture appliance in your son's mouth, a pediatric dentist would probably be the best one to advise you on that.
I hope I answered all of your questions! If you have any other questions, just leave another comment. Thanks for visiting Oral Answers!
Thanks Tom for your quick response. Gavin does see a pediatric dentist. He lost his teeth in an accidental bump against the bathtub and we called the on-call pediatric dentist immediately; he advised we did not need to bring him in right away. Both his front teeth came out root and all, with no visible cracks on the roots or teeth themselves. (We were concerned about whether or not he needed stitches).
If he had bacteria in his bloodstream from the open wounds, would this be something that would be causing some observable discomfort at this point, 6 weeks out? He definitely has no swelling and the gums look like they healed up nicely. We were careful with what we gave him to eat, drink etc. those first 2-3 days after the accident.
Lisa,
If he had gotten bacteria in his bloodstream at the time of the accident, you most likely would have observed some sort of infection or sickness within days of the exposure. Since he's doing well now with no signs of sickness and it healed up nicely, it sounds like he either didn't get any bacteria from the exposure, or he has a great immune system.
my son´s teeths were knocked out now and i don´t know what to do, i was crying thinking that teeth will never be replaced again . he´s 4 yrs old. after reaing this i learn that the permanant teeth will still come.
That's true, Amaka. There's no need to worry. There might be some evidence of the accident on the permanent teeth, such as discoloration.
If you can make it to a dentist, you might want to get an x-ray taken of the area to ensure the teeth were completely knocked out and to assess damage to the permanent teeth under the gums.
Thanks for your comment!
Hi my son who has just recently turned 6 was punched in his face and had had his front tooth knocked out. Lots of blood as you can imagine and the tooth next to it was quite bloody. As its the weekend, nothing I can to til Monday when I can ring the dentist to get an appointment. Will there be any permanent damage, he has such lovely teeth and a smile too!
Hi Natalie, I am sorry to hear that - fights aren't ever pleasant and can hurt the teeth. Although this study says that there is about a 75% chance of damaging the permanent tooth when a baby tooth is traumatically knocked out, there is some good news.
Of the children that they examined who were 5 years old or older, they only found that 18.2% of those children who had lost a baby tooth traumatically experienced damage to the permanent tooth that came in under it.
Tell your son I hope there's no problems with his permanent tooth!.
Here's the abstract of the study if that helps:
Thank you for you reply. I just hope that there isn't any permanent damage to his adult tooth, but I do know that dentistry has come on so much now and that if there is damage then I know that there will be something the dentists can do about it now, even if they came down and they weren't straight, I would get a brace for him and if it was discoloured at all, then I would get them whitened.
Natalie
If my child's tooth was already loose and then he fell and it got knocked out, will it be alright?
Hi Cheri, if it was already loose, that means that the crown of the tooth under it is already formed and is almost coming into the mouth.
I would think that as long as his baby tooth was knocked "out" and not pushed up into the permanent tooth before it came out then it should be alright. Keep us updated on how the tooth looks when it comes in.
Thanks for the comment!
My daughter front tooth just cam out as it was loose. I noticed that the internal structure was not equal, there appears to be a small sliver that has stayed in the gum. Does this need to be assessed by her dentist or will this fragment come out naturally? What do I need to watch for as signs of problems?
Hi Larry - When you look at a baby tooth that has just come out, it will look pretty uneven and jagged just because the root has been dissolved naturally by the body so that the permanent teeth can come in.
I think it would be very rare to have a sliver of the tooth come off and stay in her mouth. If it were my daughter, I would wait a few days and see if it really is part of the baby tooth stuck in there. If it is, I would check with your dentist. I have searched through my pediatric dentistry book and sadly, after five semesters of pediatric dentistry, we haven't really gone over this sort of thing, so unfortunately, I can't let you know what to watch for since I don't want to give you incorrect information.
Please keep us updated as to what happens. Thanks for your question!
My two-year old knocked her front tooth out this past weekend . . . and the adjacent front tooth was loosened. Right now we are waiting to see if the adjacent tooth will hang in there (pediatric dentist gave it 50/50 odds). What are your thoughts on pedo-partials - the downsides? She has also had bad breath since about an hour after the accident - dentist said it was the dried blood . . . when will the smell go away (it has now been four days) - I'm worried that it might be sign of infection (though her gums look fine). I'm bummed at your cited study - that 95% of those less than 5 years old suffer damage to the permanent tooth when a baby tooth is knocked out! What kind of "damage" would one see?
Thanks!
Hi Heather - I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's accident!
The closest experience I have to pediatric partial dentures is working on making one for a pre-teenage boy who is missing a few front teeth.
From what we've learned in our pediatric dentistry courses, the main downside to partial dentures for kids is that they hate wearing them. While looking into your question, I read this in my pediatric dentistry book:
"Two drawbacks of the appliance are retention and compliance. Retention is a problem because primary canines do not have large undercuts for clasp engagement... The problem of compliance is closely related to that of retention. Three to six year old children will not tolerate an ill-fitting appliance and will not use it. In fact, some children will not tolerate a retentive appliance."
So the main drawbacks of the removable partial denture for kids is that it's hard to get them to fit properly and kids just don't like wearing them. An alternative to the removable partial denture is a fixed partial denture that has bands that are cemented onto the molars and then has thick wire with fake teeth attached that goes to the front of the mouth.
Unfortunately, I haven't dealt with any kids who have had a noticeable smell to their breath days after knocking out a tooth. My best guess is to agree with the dentist that it's the dried blood. If it doesn't go away, it's probably a good idea to check back with her dentist.
As for the damage to the permanent tooth, it is 95% before the age of 2 and 18% after age 5. Since your daughter's already 2, the percentage chance for damage to the permanent tooth may be well below 95%. The damage that we usually see is known as "enamel hypoplasia" also called "Turner's tooth" The baby tooth can damage the developing permanent tooth and cause a defect in the formation of the tooth. Here's an article that discusses this issue in the trauma section about halfway down the page and here's a link to the picture of what happened to the permanent tooth after a baby tooth was pushed into it. The chance of damage would be less if the tooth just came straight out rather than pushing into the permanent tooth.
I hope that helps, Heather! Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck figuring out what to do with your daughter's teeth.
My two year old fell and knocked out his front tooth. My husband yelled that he had knocked his front tooth out and I ran into the room found the tooth immediately looked at it quickly, it was long and pure white, nothing on it not even blood. I immediately picked the tooth up and put it back into the socket. My son had hardly any bleeding. I bet the tooth was only out of his mouth for 30 seconds before I put it back in. It is a little crooked and a little longer than the tooth next to it, but two days later it is set and not even a little bit loose. We took him to the dentist about 10 minutes after this happened, she came in after hours and met us, and said that I did the right thing and it looked great, she's not even sure she could have put it in as well as I did. The dentist also put him on an antibiotic to help prevent any infections. Do you think that this tooth will survive? Or do you think it will probably still die? If it dies, what would you do next? have it removed or leave it as long as there is no abcess? Do you think that the quick response will help any chance of survival of the tooth? Have you ever heard of a re-implanted baby tooth surviving? Your response will be well received! I did re-implant an adult tooth during my undergrad in Sports Medicine, but I am also very aware of the difference between an adult and a baby tooth.
Hi Kristina - The dept. of Pediatric Dentistry at my dental school recommends to not re-implant baby teeth. I actually sent the article I cited in the above post to one of my professors and she found it interesting. The main problem with re-implanting baby teeth is that it could cause damage to the permanent tooth that is developing. However, I'd say that since the tooth is hanging down lower than the one next to it that it's definitely farther away from the developing permanent tooth than it was before the accident, which is a good thing.
When permanent teeth are knocked out and promptly re-implanted in younger children, the tooth can stay alive. Unfortunately, I don't have any statistics about whether re-implanted baby teeth can stay living. If it didn't survive, simply leaving it in could cause problems and your dentist would probably recommend removing the pulp tissue on the inside of the tooth, which is known as a pulpectomy.
The good news is that there is a set of permanent teeth under your son's baby teeth so hopefully the re-implanted tooth can last him another five years or so until the permanent teeth come in. Also, the quick response time gives you a much better chance of keeping the tooth in because most of the periodontal ligament cells on the tooth probably stayed alive and were able to re-attach quickly which explains why the tooth isn't loose at all.
That's good that you already had experience of re-implanting teeth and knew that a prompt response helps the tooth. I hope that answers your questions. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for your response Tom, His tooth was knocked out Tuesday evening and is still in today, he claims it hurts, but it has NOT changed any of his behaviors, he can eat hot and cold things, running, jumping, playing, if I didn't ask I would never know that it hurts, because he doesn't act like it. In the article above it said: Next, you have two options: and number 2 said: "2. You can try to save the tooth by having it re-implanted. If your child is only three years old and knocks out a tooth, it may be beneficial to try to re-implant it, however this is something that only your dentist and you can determine after talking about the risks and benefits. It is normally recommended to not re-implant primary teeth due to the damage that can be done to the permanent teeth that are developing underneath. However, there are many exceptions to this recommendation." What exactly are the exceptions to this recommendation???
Hi Kristina - Every person is unique and finds themselves in a different set of circumstances. Some exceptions would be the child's age and stage of tooth development. For example, if my son who is three years old were to knock out a front baby tooth, I would re-implant it because I wouldn't want him to go without the tooth for that long because it might embarrass him or make it harder to speak. It is important to note that you can't always go by age. It's a good idea to get an x-ray taken of the teeth to see how developed the permanent teeth are and how close the baby tooth was to the permanent tooth.
Another reason to definitely re-implant the tooth would be if your child was born without permanent teeth under the baby teeth. This is a more extreme case, but I've heard of an adult in his mid 40's that was missing two permanent incisors and still has his lower front two baby teeth in his mouth. I'm sure there are other reasons that I'll learn as I gain more experience.
I also thought I'd let you know that in that study I cited above by A. Filippi, it mentioned that a successful method for re-implanting baby teeth included removing the pulp from the tooth and filling the inside of the tooth with calcium hydroxide, which allowed the tooth to heal. This may be something that you could look into with your son's dentist.
I hope that answers your question, let me know if you have any others. Have a great weekend!
Tom,
I am glad that you would have done the same if it were your 3 year old... my son is only a couple of months away from turning 3. Also, I understand that there are risks, but again, I suppose it was at least worth the try. And to be perfectly honest, I put the tooth in as a reaction to my experience and education... not even thinking about the difference between an adult and a baby tooth. And as far as adults still having baby teeth, that NEVER crossed my mind when I put the tooth in or after for that matter, but my step dad was in his fifty's when he had to have a bunch of baby teeth extracted and had to have dentures made as his baby teeth lived WAY BEYOND their years!!! He never developed adult teeth. That is interesting, and I would have no idea if my son has adult teeth. We are taking him back to the dentist on Monday to get an x-ray, lets hope everything is ok!
Update on my son's tooth: We took him to the dentist today and she took an x-ray and checked his tooth that I re-implanted. The x-ray looked great and there doesn't appear to be any damage to the adult tooth or the area surrounding the adult tooth, and she said that his tooth has re-attached VERY WELL and has not changed color!!! She was very pleased with how well his tooth is doing and is very optimistic! We do still have to watch for infection and for discoloration, but so far he has well beaten the odds of a baby tooth re-insertion being successful! She said that my quick response getting it right back into the socket made a huge difference and gave the chance of survival the best chance it could have!!!
Now if I can keep him on his feet so that he doesn't keep banging his teeth we will be all set! I am NOT sure that is possible with my little BOY... because he is ALL BOY!!! 
his tooth is a little crooked and a little longer than the one next to it, but the dentist said that was good because it didn't get pushed up into the adult tooth... and really you have to look for it to even notice! I can deal with crooked!!! Just SUPER HAPPY that his adult tooth looks ok! 
Hi Kristina,
Thank you for the update! I'm glad that you got the x-ray done and that everything looks good! That's great that it hasn't gotten discolored.
I know that permanent teeth, if they're knocked out on someone who is pretty young, can stay alive even after getting knocked out. Hopefully since you got it in pretty quick, this tooth will stay alive and not have anything done to it until it's taken away by the tooth fairy.
Even if the tooth looks crooked, I highly doubt anyone will really notice it too much on a young boy! It is tricky to keep them out of trouble. My 3 year old son does so many crazy things, I'm amazed he hasn't knocked out a tooth yet.
If you don't mind, I'd love it if you'd let me know if the tooth does end up not needing anything done. There's really not very much data on re-implantation of baby teeth and whether or not they can re-generate their blood supply and stay vital.
Good luck with your son, and thanks for the update, Kristina!
I will keep you updated! I am taking him back to the dentist in a month for her to do a visual inspection of his mouth and tooth and will take him back again in 6 months. Or maybe even sooner if I notice any changes, abscess, pain, discoloration, etc. I took a picture of his "new smile" and you really have to look to notice that it is crooked... from some angles it is more obvious that it is crooked, but I really don't care... just hoping it stays healthy and that the adult tooth is ok!
1/6/11: Update on my son's tooth: I took him back to the dentist yesterday so that she could visually examine his tooth. She said that his tooth looks REMARKABLE and that it is the same color as the teeth next to it. It has straightened itself out a bit naturally from his lip pressing on it but is still a tad bit longer than the tooth next to it. She said that she said that his tooth is doing much better than anyone would have predicted being a baby tooth.
We still have to watch for discoloration and abscess but as of right now, she said he needs no further dental procedures done and she doesn’t need to see him back unless something changes. She said we will do another x-ray at his next cleaning just to make sure that there is no abscess that we can’t see. My son has no pain and is eating just like he did before he knocked it out. Still keeping my fingers crossed that he keeps it in his mouth until it is supposed to come out! 
Only time will tell. 
Hi Kristina - Thank you for the update! I'm glad everything is going well with your son!
As long as you and your son's dentist are keeping a close eye on it, you should be able to spot any potential problems in the future.
We will be keeping a close eye on his tooth. I check it daily and if I notice any changes I will contact our dentist. He goes back to the dentist in May for a cleaning and they will do another x-ray at that time just to check it. Do you have any suggestions of things I should be looking for as I would like to catch any problems early!?!?
Hi Kristina - I would keep monitoring it for any color changes. If the nerve inside has survived this long though, I think it would stay healthy.
I think the most important thing would be for you to keep going to the dentist and getting the x-rays taken to make sure that the tooth hasn't fused to the bone, which would make it hard for the permanent tooth to come through.
Thanks! I will watch the tooth for discoloration and we will do x-rays when he goes in for cleanings. Our dentist never mentioned the tooth fusing to the bone! I imagine if that happens we will eventually have to have the tooth extracted instead of it falling out on it's own??? I will update you as things progress. Still keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out ok for him!
Thanks for your time and advice!
Hi Kristina - When a tooth falls out, the ligament cells that attach it to the bone are damaged. Sometimes they can grow back and be healthy for a while, but the time is usually limited. For example, in most adult teeth that are knocked out, the ligament cells will eventually die out and the tooth will fuse to the bone. This process can take place quickly, or take a long time (as in many, many years.)
Since you put the tooth right back in, I am guessing that you probably wouldn't have to worry about this.
Here's one study that replanted teeth in animals. Teeth that were replanted immediately usually had no problems, while those teeth whose ligaments had dried out usually didn't fare so well.
I'm sure you'll keep a good eye on it, so I doubt any problems will arise. Just enjoy the fact that your son still has a tooth and that you saved it. Have a great day, Kristina, and thanks for your updates!
Tom,
My son's tooth has been doing fine and had tightened up nicely, until yesterday when he hit his tooth on another little girls head. Now the tooth that had fallen out before that I re-inserted is a bit loose. It did bleed very little along the gum line and is still in his mouth. When I feel his tooth I can feel it wiggle a little bit, but when he talks or pushes his tongue up against it I don't see any movement and he let me brush his teeth like usual today. What would you suggest? Is it possible to put a resin composit filling on the back of the tooth to attach it to the teeth next to it so that it stays in his mouth??? He is not in any pain whatsoever and it still looks the same as it did before as far as the color and position are concerned. Any suggestions???
Hi Kristina - It sounds like this tooth doesn't want to stay in your son's mouth! It sounds like he's been through a lot with this tooth.
It's hard to know exactly what happened, but from what you describe, I am guessing that the tooth got knocked in towards the tongue slightly. This is known as luxation. If that's the case, Pediatric Dentistry by Pinkham says this: "The tooth presents increased mobility and sensitivity to percussion. Signs of bleeding may be evident around the tooth...Many clinicians recommend extraction of severely luxated primary teeth owing to the potential damage to the succeeding permanent incisor."
It continues, "Some parents insist that everything be done to save the anterior primary teeth, and if the child is seen shortly after the injury and before the formation of a coagulum, the tooth can be repositioned. The tooth must then be splinted for 7 to 14 days, and root canal treatment is indicated as rupture of the blood supply to the pulp is expected in cases of severe luxation. The cost/benefit of retaining these teeth and the potential for injury to the succeeding permanent teeth must be explained to the parents."
Your best bet is to have a dentist evaluate it clinically and by taking an x-ray of the area. Depending on the condition, they may recommend splinting it with composite as you mentioned, or removing it depending on its relationship with the permanent tooth. I hope that helps - let me know if you have any other questions, Kristina.
Thanks for your response. I didn't see him hit his face but I assume that it is how you described it. The tooth is in the same position it was before he bumped it again and only had a little bleeding at the gumline, not even enough to run down the tooth (My husband didn't even see the bleeding until after I showed him using a flashlight). As of this morning and all day yesterday there has been no new bleeding, the gums did not change color or look like they had any trauma and he does not complain of any pain whatsoever. The tooth doesn't appear to move when he talks or pushes his tongue up against it, but I can feel slight movement of the tooth when I wiggle it, which before this bump I couldn't feel any movement. It does seem to be tightening up as it moves less this morning than it did Monday afternoon. I am taking him to the dentist on Saturday, as she wanted to wait and see if it would tighten back up a bit and we will do another x-ray. I will talk to her about maybe using a composite filling to just help stabolize it as long as it won't do any further damage to his adult tooth or the teeth next to it.
Thanks for the reply, Kristina. Hopefully everything will look good on the x-ray - keep us updated on what happens!
I talked to my dentist today and she said that bonding the baby tooth could cause a lot of damage to the adult tooth as it starts to erupt in a couple of years... apparently when the adult tooth comes in it would push against the baby tooth and damage would then occur to the adult tooth. Wouldn't the enamel on the adult be formed well enough by that point to allow it to push the baby tooth out? And would this baby tooths root disolve by that point anyway? I am just wondering if I should get a second opinion or if I should go ahead and just let nature take its course? I could always have a space maintainer with a tooth put on it for the time being if it does come out, but I would like it to stay in there if it is healthy and not causing any problems or infections as everything I read says that it takes longer for the adult tooth to errupt if the baby tooth gets knocked Prematurely. One of my students knocked 3 of his baby teeth out when he was three and he didn't get his adult teeth until he was NINE! That a long time to go without front teeth!
Hi Kristina - The book I quoted from above recommends using a thin plastic stripe (known as a splint) to connect the loose tooth to the adjacent teeth and "gluing" it onto the teeth with composite. This would only be done for 7-14 days and then it would be removed.
One reason I can think of for the permanent tooth coming in later is that with the tooth having been knocked around twice, it may have damaged the periodontal ligament cells, and the tooth may have fused to bone in some places. This process is known as ankylosis and is what normally occurs after many years when permanent teeth are knocked out and then re-implanted. This is one of the reasons why your dentist is taking x-rays on that tooth so that she can monitor the status of those cells to ensure that the permanent tooth will be able to erupt properly.
Update: I took my son to the dentist and they took an x-ray... apparently the root is starting to dissolve therefore it will fall out. The first dentist I went to was a bit overwhelming and was insisting that I have his tooth pulled right away, right then. There is no infection in there yet. I was asking questions and she said go get a second opinion, so I did. I had been talking to one of my students mom's who works at a dentist office, and when my student was 3 he knocked out 3 of his front teeth and he had a space retainer with teeth on it made so that he wouldn't go without teeth for that long. He was NINE when he finally got his front teeth! So I made an appointment today to go to her dentist office and the dentist there said that there is no sign of infection and that we could do impressions and have a space retainer with a tooth made so that speech will not be affected and so that the space is retained. The first dentist said that she would NOT do that, he would just be without a tooth until his adult tooth comes in. The 2nd dentist took impressions today and we ordered the space retainer, his tooth is currently still in his mouth. It may fall out before the appliance comes in, if not the dentist will pull it the same day that the appliance is put in. His tooth is noticeably loose, but at least I feel better about the whole thing if it does fall out in the mean time! Thanks for your knowledge and feedback!
Thanks for the update, Kristina! Sadly, many re-implanted teeth do experience root resorption where the root slowly dissolves. I have to say that you tried pretty hard to save this tooth!
It sounds like you've got a great dentist who will make your son a space maintainer to replace the missing tooth. I hope everything goes well, Kristina - Thanks for the constant updates, I'm sure many parents have benefited from hearing about your experience.
update on my son's "super tooth": We went today to have the space retainer with the tooth on it put in today, the dentist was going to pull the tooth that he knocked loose, but his "super tooth" has tightened back up and the dentist said to leave it, as it is better to have what you were born with since it shows no signs of infection and Ethan is in Zero pain! The dentist said that I did a good job putting it back in and two weeks ago he wouldn't have thought that the tooth would have tightened back up... sometimes the body does amazing things! The dentist also said that his tooth could stay in his mouth for months, he has seen stranger things in his 33 years of being a dentist, so as long as there are no signs of infection we will just let it fall out naturally then have the space retainer put in! We go back in 6 months for a cleaning and we will see how things are going then... unless something happens in the mean time!
Thanks for the update, Kristina. It sounds like your son's mouth is eager to hang onto the teeth as well. I'm glad you have a dentist with a lot of experience that is taking care of your son. I hope everything works out with his teeth and that there's no more accidents! Even if there are, he seems to bounce back pretty well
Update on my son's re-implated tooth... I took him for his dental cleaning this week and the dentist also looked at the re-implated tooth. It will be a year at the end of this month since he knocked it out on our kitchen floor and I re-implanted it. He has hit it a few times and has eaten corn on the cob off the cob, and just recently took a huge bite out of an apple... the dentist said that the tooth is at tiny bit wiggly, but it has been since we changed dentists earlier this year, but the gum tissue around it looks completely healthy! The tooth itself has darkened a bit but does not bother him at all! The dentist suggested that we leave it and wait until it falls out... at that time, depending on when it falls out, we will decide to put the space maintainer with the fake tooth on it in his mouth or maybe not, all depends on how long this "super tooth" hangs in there! The root has desolved some right after the accident, but nothing has changed since then... I guess we just wait and see! I guess his re-implanted tooth has defeated most odds of staying in his mouth! At this point, I don't care if it falls out or not, the only thing I care about is that his gum tissue is healthy and he is not in any pain!
I just thougth you would like an update on this tooth!
My 5 year old fell a week and a half ago and cut up and bruised her inner uper lip. It also appeared her top two front teeth had moved slightly. A few days ago we noticed one of those teeth had started to discolor. We took her in to her dentist and they said it looked fine (they did x-ray it), but would probably darken more and remain discolored until she lost the tooth. The very next day it fell out, root and all, without her even knowing. I noticed it missing and asked her where it was (we did find it). She did not even bleed hardly at all. Do we need to take her in to the dentist again? We're perplexed at how the dentist could have missed the possibility of it falling out! And what is normal coloring for a root?
Thanks,
Brooke
Hi Brooke - Sometimes it's hard to tell from an x-ray what happened to a tooth since it's just a two dimensional image of a three-dimensional tooth. The tooth may have looked like it was tightly connected to the bone, when in fact maybe most of the ligament had been torn, which is why it may have easily fallen out.
As for the discoloration, Pediatric Dentistry by Dr. Pinkham states:
"As a result of trauma, the capillaries in the pulp occasionally hemorrhage, leaving blood pigments deposited in the dental tubules. In mild cases, the blood is resorbed and very little discoloration occurs, or that which is present becomes lighter in several weeks. In more severe cases, the discoloration persists for the life of the tooth."
The root of a tooth is usually darker than the crown and more yellow. To see an example of this, here is a link to an extracted wisdom tooth that shows the root.
It would probably be a good idea to go back to the dentist to make sure everything looks good and to have them look more closely at the tooth next to it so that it doesn't fall out as well.
I hope that helps! If you have any other questions, just leave another comment. Thanks for your question, Brooke!
My son is only 9 months old and his upper left front tooth was just coming in when he fell from his changing table and it knocked the tooth out...I am scared that now his permanent tooth won't come in correctly. What do you think the outcome will be?
Hi Casey - There have been reports that show that when the trauma happens at such a young age, it is more likely for damage to be done to the permanent tooth. Did the whole tooth come out, or did the tooth break off?
It would be a good idea to take your son to a pediatric dentist. They are trained in treating children and even want to see kids for the first time when they are between 6-12 months of age. I hope that helps. Thanks for your comment!
My 12-month-old knocked out her front tooth today. We immediately put the tooth in milk and ran her to the dentist, who put it back in within about an hour of it coming out. Now looking online everyone says reimplantation is not a good idea, but the idea of her not having a front tooth for 5 or 6 years is horrifying. The tooth looks good right now. It's slightly lower than her other front tooth, but that's understandable and hugely preferable to no tooth. My question is this: the dentist said to keep an eye out for an infection or abcess, but I don't really know what either one of those look like. What should I be looking for?
Hi Libby - That's good that you knew that milk is a good way to store knocked out teeth! In answer to your question, an infection/abscess is when bacteria build up and form something similar to a blister around the tooth. Since it fell out of your daughter's mouth, it could have gotten bacteria on it that might cause an infection. If you notice her gums getting swollen, red, or puffy, then that could be a sign that it is infected and an abscess is developing.
The pediatric dentistry department at my dental school recommends to NOT re-implant baby teeth because it could damage the permanent tooth under and/or delay its eruption into the mouth.
To be honest, I am kind of split on this issue. My pediatric dentistry textbook does reference the article that I mentioned when I wrote the above post about how sometimes you can re-implant baby teeth.
If I were you, I would keep it in my daughter's mouth since she is so young and seven years or so is a long time to have her go without a front tooth. It is important to keep going to the dentist regularly so that you can watch for any complications that may arise with the permanent tooth underneath this baby tooth.
I hope that helps. If you have any other questions, let me know. Thanks for your comment, Libby!
My 3 year old fell at school 2 days ago and today he is complaining of tooth pain and the front tooth feels very loose. There is a slight red discoloration at the gum line and he won't stop fiddling with it even though it hurts. We are trying to get an appointment with a pediatric dentist tomorrow, but I am concerned that he will lose the tooth if he eats certain foods or brushes his teeth. Are certain things inadvisable until the tooth can be checked out by a dentist? Is it possible that the tooth will tighten up again, even if the gum appears discolored? Thanks for you insights.
Kathy
Hi Kathryn - Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Usually the best thing to do in this situation is to get to a dentist/pediatric dentist as soon as possible. Eating and brushing could continue to loose the tooth and perhaps damage the permanent tooth that is developing underneath your son's baby tooth.
From what you've said, it sounds like the tooth has been extruded. My pediatric dentistry book describes that as follows, "An extruded tooth is clinically elongated in comparision with adjacent unaffected teeth. The tooth preseent swith increased mobility and sensitivity to percussion. Bleeding from the gingival sulcus can be seen shortly after the injury."
That means that the tooth is loose, it hurts when he bites down on it, and you've got bleeding around the gumline (which you mentioned.) The book mentions two options for treating an extruded tooth. The dentist can either remove it, or use a wire to attach it to the adjacent teeth for a couple of weeks to allow it to heal.
Most pediatric dentists would encourage you to simply have the tooth removed as it may have damaged the permanent tooth underneath it and continue to damage it by leaving it in. By pulling out the tooth, your child will obviously go for a few years without the tooth - which some parents may not see as an option.
In these cases, it may be possible to splint the tooth to the adjacent teeth and allow it to heal for a couple of weeks. My pediatric dentistry book recommends having a root canal performed in this case.
I hope that helps - Thanks for your comment!
22 month old daughter fell and fractured her left incisor severly. It was extracted as it could not be saved. Her right incisior was chipped but appeared to be in good position (xrays not performed). A month after the accident she developed some pain. Had pediatric dental consult today and a root canal on the chipped incisor is being recommended under general anesthesia! The rationale to save the baby tooth was to allow the permanent tooth to come in quicker, help with potential speech difficulties and cosmetics. I have the following questions:
1. Is it really necessary to save a baby incisor with such an aggressive and potentially risky procedure on a 22 month old? We are very concerned about the general anesthesia.
2. Is it true that if baby teeth come out early by either trauma or planned extraction, then the permanant teeth will take longer to erupt. We were told that she likely will not get her permanant teeth until age 8!
3. I feel that we should just extract the remaining chipped incisor and not subject her to a root canal. Other than cosmetics is there any other reason not to do this?
4. I am not concerned about cosmetics at present, but are there options for her when she gets older (school age)?
Thanks Tom, good luck with your studies. Sorry for the long post. I am in the dog house since the accident occurred on my watch!
Hi Irfan - I'm sorry you're in the dog house - it might take a while to get you out of this one!
Here's some background information that I found in the book Pediatric Dentistry by Pinkham.
"Several outcomes of early loss of primary incisors have been described in the dental literature. Loss of space can be expected if the injury occurred prior to eruption of the primary canines and in children with a crowded dentition." If your daughter is 22 months old, chances are that her canines have come in, so you shouldn't have to worry about losing space in her jaw, unless her teeth are packed together pretty tightly (no spaces between them at all.)
Another concern for your daughter aside from aesthetics is that we use our front teeth to speak. For example, when you say the word tooth, you put your tongue on your incisors twice, once at the beginning of the word, and once at the end. Here's another quote from my pediatric dentistry book, "If primary incisors are lost before the child masters articulation, speech development may be affected. However, pronunciation becomes normal after eruption of the permanent teeth."
This study has also shown that speech is not affected by prematurely losing the baby front teeth. It says, "These results suggest that loss of maxillary incisors in children younger than five years is not likely to result in defective articulation while the teeth are missing or when the permanent dentition is acquired."
Regarding the delayed eruption of the permanent tooth, here's what my pediatric dentistry book has to say, "Delayed and ectopic eruption of permanent incisors in cases of avulsion of their primary predecessors have been described and were attributed to lack of guidance, development of a scar tissue, and deflection of the developing permanent tooth bud by the injured primary incisor." That basically says that it is possible for your daughter's permanent tooth to take longer to come in because the baby tooth isn't there to "guide" it into the right spot, it might be harder for it to come into the mouth through scar tissue, and the permanent tooth could have moved slightly during your daughter's injury.
When your daughter gets older, a pediatric dentist could make a small partial denture for your daughter.
As for the root canal treatment, I can understand why you're anxious about it! My daughter is almost 19 months and I'm really not sure what I would do in your situation - it's a tough choice. In the section on root canals for baby teeth in my pediatric dentistry book it states, "Disagreement exists among clinicians about the utility of pulpectomy procedures in primary teeth. Difficulty int he preparation of primary root canals that have complex and variable morphologic features and the uncertainty about the effects of instrumentation, medication, and filling materials on developing succedaneous teeth dissuade some clinicians from using the technique." Basically, some dentists say not to do root canals in baby teeth, and some say that they're great. Sometimes if the dentist isn't careful, a file can go through the baby tooth and hurt the developing permanent tooth. Although it does have some risks, many root canals have been successfully done on children's baby teeth.
The book goes on to say that a natural tooth is the best space maintainer, and that it is good to do root canals in baby teeth so that no space is lost and there is room for the permanent teeth to come in. From what I've gathered, space maintenance probably isn't much of an issue in your daughter's case.
As for cosmetics when your daughter starts going to school, a pediatric dentist can make a partial denture for her. They have a type of partial denture that can be anchored to her molar teeth so it always stays in her mouth, or there is a removable type. It seems like the removable partial denture in kids can have a tendency to get lost as some children may "accidentally" get rid of them if they hate having it in their mouth all of the time.
I think I answered all of your questions in a slightly disorganized way! Let me know if you have any other questions. I hope everything turns out well, no matter what you both decide on doing for your daughter. Thanks for your questions, Irfan. I was able to learn a lot in the process of answering them.
My 3 year old daughter hit her mouth two Saturdays ago, and has a partially avulsed (primary) front tooth (it is longer in and forward). Went to pediatric dentist, and he said we can try to push it up and back the Monday after it happened. It went up some, but not back. Since then, it has migrated out again and still remains loose. No signs of infection, and tooth still white in appearance. Is it too late to reposition it, how long before it tightens up? Seems like an appliance is needed to keep it in position. Is it destined to fall out? Very upset that it looks longer and it is sticking out.
Hi Christine - Shortly after the tooth was injured, a blood clot formed and your daughter's body went to work filling in the space that the tooth had previously occupied. In these cases, it's usually necessary to reposition the tooth immediately before the blood clot forms. My guess is that the pediatric dentist was only able to push it back up slightly because your daughter's body was already starting the repair process.
Pediatric Dentistry by Pinkham talks about how to handle these types of injuries:
"Some parents insist that everything is done to save anterior primary teeth, and if the child is seen shortly after the injury and before the formation of a coagulum, the tooth can be repositioned."
In those cases, the dentist can reposition the tooth and bond what we call a splint to the loose tooth which will attach it to its neighboring teeth and allow it to become tight inside the socket.
Does your daughter's pediatric dentist believe that the tooth can be saved? If it's still loose, my guess is that it will probably need to come out, but keep in mind that I can't see the tooth and it may be in much better condition than I am imagining it to be.
I hope that helps - Thanks for your question, Christine!
Hi Tom,
My 6-year old son knocked one of his up middle teeth when he was 2 year old. Then the pediatric dentist put a partial denture for the lost one. The denture is ancored into his two molar teeth. But recently, the gums of those two molars are easily swollen and red. I ａｍ ｗｏｒｒｙｉｎｇ ｔｈａｔ ｈｉｓ ｇｕｍｓ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ ｈｕｒｔ． Ｗｈａｔ ｓｈｏｕｌｄ ｗｅ ｄｏ ｎｏｗ？
Hi Sarah - I'm glad that your son has gotten such a useful life out of the denture! The part of the denture that is anchored on the molar teeth may have moved down toward the gums slightly and is now causing him irritation. Try looking in his mouth to see if this is what happened.
In any case, I would recommend going to see your son's pediatric dentist to see if there are any other problems. I hope that helps - If you have any other questions, let me know. Thanks for your comment!
My 2 year old daughter recently fell and chipped her front tooth on the inner corner. She hasn't complained at all of any pain and there has been no discolouration or changes to the gum so far (2.5 weeks later). She saw the dentist the day after the accident and he has booked her in for an x-ray at the paediatric dentist which is in a couple of weeks.
I wondered..
a) By when does a tooth normally discolour or absess after a trauma? Is there a point that I might think 'phew' not gonna happen now?
b) Can the dentist restore the corner and if he does how close a match to tooth colour will the bonding be?
c) If the tooth has to be pulled because of damage to incoming tooth can they put in a 'fake' tooth and what is the best option
Obviously the main concern is that her adult teeth are healthy but am pretty upset by the thought that she might not have a front tooth for 5ish years and want advice on the options!!
Many thanks
Hi Ilana - Did the tooth move at all in the socket? We are usually more concerned about the permanent tooth underneath when the baby tooth has been knocked out or pushed around. If the tooth didn't move at all, it's not causing any pain, and the part that chipped off was pretty small, then my guess is that the tooth made it through the trauma alright!
In response to your questions:
A - From what I've read, a tooth can discolor in as little as 1-2 days or may take many months.
B - The dentist can restore the corner. Modern dental filling materials allow the dentist to pick a shade that can match the tooth so well that it will be hard to tell that the filling is even there. The only potential problem that I see is that it may be harder to make the tooth look really good since your daughter is only 2 years old and probably doesn't have the patience for a very long dental appointment.
C - If the tooth has to be pulled, the two options are putting in something that is attached to the other teeth or a small partial denture. In your case, I would think that having something attached to the other teeth would probably be best. That way it won't get lost and your child will learn to become accustomed to it more easily.
I hope that helps, Ilana. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks Tom that's really helpful!
The tooth didn't appear loose at all, at any point - even immediatley after. Reassuring to know that it's probably a good thing!
I'll just have to cross my fingers re the colour and whether the x-rays come out okay I guess and if she does need it removing I will ask about the alternative to a denture as you suggest.
Re discolouration is it true that the tooth may go grey and then turn whiter again some months after?
Also is there anything I can do to maintain the tooth and prevent absessing or is that just a matter of pot luck?
Hi Ilana - I'm glad it helped! Usually the tooth turning dark grey isn't a good sign. This study found that the nerve had died in about two-thirds of teeth that turned dark grey after being traumatized.
From what I've learned, teeth that turn grey can sometimes recover and return to a more natural white color. You inspired me to write a new article, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks you'll see an article about all the different colors teeth can become after being hurt and what they mean.
I think the best way to take care of the tooth and prevent an abscess would be to have your dentist repair it, if that's what is recommended, and then keep up with good oral hygiene.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Tom,
Last night my 3yr old son and my 9yr old daughter were playing around in the bedroom and they had the mattress half on and half off the bed so they could slide down & then they started to play a little rough and my daughter and so said that he hit his face off of the mattress and his tooth was knocked out with the root. First I couldn't imagine a mattress as soft as it is knock a tooth out cause it wasn't even loose like as if he was to knock it out from hitting it off a hard surface. We don't know if they are scared to tell us that he hit it off something else that was hard cause they think they would get into trouble or if it really was the mattress but it was just a accident and I always tell them accidents happen and they know they wouldn't get into trouble so I do think it was the mattress but wouldn't think it would knock a tooth out. Could a mattress really knock a tooth out? Also his gum where the tooth came out looks bruised and I just want to make sure that it will be ok. Will it be ok where it is bruised? Should I make a appointment with his dentist to have them check it out and make sure everything is ok? There was helpful info on this site and im glad I found it. Thank you for all your help - Melissa
Hi Melissa - I have heard of things softer than a mattress doing damage to teeth. One patient told me that they cracked a whole tooth on a piece of cheese - so I guess anything can happen. Depending on how he hit the mattress, I would say that it's a possibility.
It's a good idea to go to a dentist for a visit so that they can examine the area and check for possible damage to the permanent tooth. You could even have your son tell the dentist how the accident happened and see if the story changes at all
I hope that helps, Thanks for your comment and let me know if you have any other questions.
Hey I have just received word from my aunt that her 6 year old daughter had an accident at her school which caused damage to her two front teeth. When she was taken to the dentist her father signed a few papers which led to the dentist takin out the two front teeth without my aunts consent. My aunt tells me that she believes those two front teeth which were removed were the permanent teeth. I was wondering, considering the circumstances and the age of the little girl will the teeth grow back. If not what procedures should be taken.
Thanks
Hi David - In the United States, as long as the father is a legal guardian of the girl and he gave consent to remove the teeth, then there isn't a legal problem with that.
If they are the permanent teeth (the top front two usually come in around the age of 7-8 years old), then they unfortunately will not grow back and are gone forever. As for replacing the teeth, a pediatric dentist would probably be able to give you the best options, which are usually some sort of a fixed partial denture or removable partial denture. Eventually when her jaw has stopped growing, dental implants will be an option for replacing the missing teeth.
I hope your niece recovers well from her accident! Let me know if you have any more questions, David. Thanks for your comment!
I have been reading all the questions and responses to them and not one of them quite fits our current situation with our daughter...Kaydee is 2 today...while having her birthday at a Bowling alley she was clotheslined on a chain and it knocked her front tooth out root and all....now here is the tricky part....My daughter was born with a Bilateral cleft of both the lip and palate...We called the Ped. Dentist and he said he can't do anything about the loss of her precious tooth and that she would just need to deal with the loss.....I am concerned with her Cleft issues that this may cause more problems.....The tooth came out of her premaxilla and has no hope of repostioning due to the dentists refusal as well as the time that has lapsed since it has happened.....any ideas to help with her already struggling speech and eating?
Hi Christeenia - I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's accident. I got clothes-lined by a wire once, but it just got my neck, not my teeth - it hurt!
This is complicated and I couldn't find any research done specific to cleft lip/palate and traumatic loss of teeth, so I'll just share what I've learned so far in my three years of dental school.
Usually we don't re-implant baby teeth because of the damage that can be done to the permanent tooth that is developing underneath. Children with cleft lip and palate sometimes do not have certain permanent teeth. If there was no permanent tooth under the knocked out baby tooth, then it probably could have been re-implanted. Your child's pediatric dentist does know the specifics of your daughter's history and what surgeries they have performed or are planning to perform to correct the clefting, so he probably made the decision not to re-implant the tooth based on the overall treatment plan.
The only suggestion I can think of is to have a pediatric dentist make a fake tooth to replace the lost one. A fixed denture can be made that will attach to the back teeth and then fill in the gap with a fake tooth.
I wish I could be of more help, Christeenia. Let me know if you have any other questions. I hope everything works out well for your daughter.
Hi again Christeenia -
You might find the following link helpful. It discusses clefts and missing teeth. I hope I helps:
http://www.cleftline.org/publications/missing_tooth
Thanks so much for the response. She had X-rays the next day because we all were worried about her not having any perm. teeth behind the baby ones. Good news! She does, and according to the Dentist, those adult teeth we growing faster than normal and it made the tooth lose to begin with. Her adult tooth was pushing it out and thats one of the reasons why it came out in one piece. Thanks again for the answers.
Hi Christeenia - It's always good to hear a happy ending - Thanks for the update! I hope everything works out well. Let me know if you have any other questions.
HELLO, i wanted to share my experience about my three year old knocking out his left front tooth by tipping over the slide on a playground, i was celebrating his Third Birthday just a day before...so he was actually a day away from turning 3. Anyways it was horrifying, i cried..all i can think of was stopping the bleeding with gauze that was giving to me by the personnel there; he was crying, i literally saw his tooth hanging by a threat, everything happen so fast next thing i noticed it on his tongue..so quickly reached in an grab it out it was the whole tooth. It was this past Sunday, I drove to the Pediatrician Dentist that also offer emergency care, but was close until next morning i left a message and was returned, basically i had to wait till the next day because blleding had stop everything was calm. So i did wait till first thing next morning and all they did was X-Rays the tooth had all came out the Dentist ask questions and said i was lokking until five years for permanent one to grow, i ask all questions if it could b implanted? why not? how long would it take to grow back? if any possible bacteria could go into the bloodstream etc., and basically said to visit in six months to monitored. I'm just a little mad at my self because i read some comments and experiences here from other Moms' and knowing that u would of done the same for your Child at this same age and think that i could have implanted back into the socket i feel like i could have safe it, i feel like crying because i didnt act quickly. But i'm also thankful to God that i have such a womderful son ofcourse.
Hi Luisa - Thanks for sharing your experience. Don't beat yourself up - for all you know if you had have put the tooth back in, it could have damaged the permanent tooth that is still developing inside your son's mouth. Hopefully your son will have a great permanent tooth coming into his mouth in a few years!
There is some controversy over whether or not to re-implant baby teeth because of the possibility of damaging the permanent tooth, so I wouldn't worry about it at all. Accidents happen all the time, especially with little boys!
Thank You very much for your response and comforting words, they truly give me Peace of Mind.
Can anyone help me? My son who is seven lost his top front tooth at his fathers last July. His father said it fell out, but my son later told me it was knocked out. He went to the dentist in August after he told me. He has now lost all his 4 front teeth and three of them have come in (the only one remaining is the one that was knocked out). It appears to be coming in now but is only like a little sliver of a tooth. I have a dental appointment for him very soon. However, I am very concerned. Could his permanent tooth have been that damaged that it is not right at all?
Thanks,
Denise
Hi Denise - At your son's age, the permanent tooth most likely wouldn't have been damaged. The enamel on the permanent upper front teeth is usually completely formed by the age of 4 or 5. If it is only a sliver of a tooth, it may be coming in at an awkward angle. Your dentist will be able to let you know for sure if they take an x-ray of the tooth.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you so much for your speedy response. You definitely made me feel better. I hope you have a nice day and it is so nice that you are willing to answer questions for people.
Hi Tom
My daughter fell and her right front tooth was knocked back into her gum. The dentist we took her too said to give it a few months too see if it would re-appear. It is now 5 months later and it now looks as if the tooth is sitting on top of the bone. (so it looks like the tooth was knocked up at a angle and not back into the socket) My question is do I leave it alone, as the milk tooth will preserve the space for the permanent tooth, or do I have it pulled. Apparently it is much easier to fix a mark/stain on the permanent tooth (from the milk tooth) that it would be to fix a tooth that has not got enough room to erupt.
regards
Chantell
Hi Chantell - There was a study done a long time ago (reference) that found that of the 88 baby teeth that they studied that were pushed up into the socket:
- 80 of the teethfully re-erupted within six months
- 4 of the teeth needed to be extracted within two weeks due to an infection
- 4 of the teeth didn't ever re-erupt and needed to be extracted several months after the injury
Unfortunately, I can't tell you what's going on with your daughter's tooth because I can't see it. Usually the front teeth aren't needed to maintain space, only the back ones. Your daughter's dentist will be able to give you a better idea of the pros and cons of leaving the tooth in or taking it out.
I hope that helps, Chantell - let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
my daughter is only 19 months old and she fell off the side of my bed. unfortunately i couldn't grab her in time and she fell with a huge scream followed by crying. there was blood everywhere. i tried cleaning the blood away to c where she had cut herself. i then noticed her lip was cut open. i then gave her a cup of water to drink to help get rid of some of the blood to which i then noticed her tooth was missing. we looked every where for it and couldn't find it so we ended up a&e for a chest x-ray. luckily enough the tooth was not there so that was one less worry. but i cant help think that wen i gave her the water that she did swallow it. we were told if the tooth was in her stomach it would pass through but we now need to c the dentist as we are not sure whether the whole tooth has been completely knocked out or if the tooth's root is still in the gums. she has also been some damage to the gums. hopefully the damage wont be to serious and that her adult tooth sud grow bk with no problems.
a few months before this happened my 4 yr old son had a similar accident in nursery where he bashed his 2 front teeth and knocked them back. when we saw the dentist they were not sure wot the out come wud b right away as the gums where still swollen and couldn't get a get look. they did say however that there could be some nerve damage and the tooth wud discolour. within a couple of months the teeth had fixed themselves and moved forward again so his teeth look nearly completely straight however he did damage the roots and gums and so now his two top teeth have discoloured to a light grey and they will stay that way until they fall out. i was told that there sud not be any permanent damage and that when his adult teeth grow through they sud b perfectly fine.
Hi Frazer - Our son fell off of our bed twice - Luckily he landed in a pretty good position both times and his teeth never got hurt. The main thing we worry about when kids knock their teeth out is whether or not they breathed in (aspirated) or swallowed the tooth. If your daughter swallowed it, it should pass through like you were told.
Fortunately, the gums and tissues of the mouth heal remarkably fast, so your daughter should heal up rather quickly. If there is any of the tooth root left in the socket, the dentist should be able to remove it. Hopefully her permanent teeth come in without any problems!
It sounds like everything went well for your son, so maybe your daughter is destined to have her permanent teeth look perfect after this! Thanks for your comment and for sharing your children's experiences with tooth trauma, Frazer!
my son had a front tooth that was just getting loose but the adult tooth had already started coming out, and the baby tooth got knocked out. His gums are cut open and really sore. Is there anything we can do to help them heal?? just happened about 30 minutes ago
Hi Traci - As far as I know, the gums should heal up fine on their own. Losing teeth is a natural bodily process. It sounds like the tooth wasn't quite ready to come out, so a little more damage may have been done, but usually things like this heal rather quickly. It's probably already getting better, right?
Thanks for your comment, Traci - Let me know if you have any other questions.
Tom,
In 2007, my daughter was 2years old and fell in parking lot. She chipped the tooth pretty bad. I had all sorts of x-rays done and I was told the adult tooth would be fine. Now, 3-1/2years later. She is almost 6 and the baby tooth fell out about 3weeks ago and still no sign of her adult tooth. I am very concerned that the original impact killed any chance of having two top front teeth.
Am I worrying for nothing or should I be concerned.
Ray
Hi Ray - Many times when the baby teeth are injured, it can take the permanent tooth a longer time to come out. My guess is that this is what's hapening with your daughter.
If your dentist told you that the adult teeth would be fine, then my guess is that they will come out, they're just delayed. Since the dentist saw them on the x-ray four years ago, they are definitely up there and will eventually work their way out.
If you are still concerned, you could ask your daughter's dentist about the teeth and if they feel it's necessary, they can take another x-ray to check on the status of the permanent front teeth.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Ray.
My son was running in his bedroom on Sat night, fell over and hit the wall with his mouth. He has bent his front tooth (baby tooth still) back. There was a fair bit of blood and he has a swollen cut lip as well. As it's the Easter long week end here in South Australia and we also have Anzac day holiday on Tuesday there is not a dentist open. My husband took him to the Womens & Childrens Hosp but unfortunately we have to wait till Wed to see a dentist. WACH said it needs to be extracted. Not sure how they will extract it in regards to sedation. He is a tuff cookie and can cope with needles.
Hi Karen - I had finals when you left your comment, so you probably ended up getting the tooth taken out! My guess is that it came out pretty easy since he had already knocked it loose. Just so everyone else knows, if the child is cooperative, we can usually remove a tooth with local anesthesia and nitrous oxide (laughing gas.) For some children, a deeper sedation is ideal to remove the tooth.
I hope that helps - Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Karen!
Hello, Today my daughter who is 3 years and 2 months tripped, hit the wooden coffee table and knocked out her tooth with the whole root. I took her to the dentist an hour after it happened and she said that it all came out and that its fine but her other front tooth and right canine are very loose and most of the gums from her front teeth (or one that left) to the canine are almost gone (the tooth ripped out of her gums when it came out). You can see most of her canine tooth. The dentist told me to put her on a liquid diet for 6 weeks hoping they will reset and the gums grow over them or they will just turn black and die. I feel like that they would just fall out if she tripped to hit anything even lightly. She didn't even give my daughter an x ray. Do you think I should follow her instructions or have them removed? I would rather have my daughter missing 3 teeth then have a liquid diet. I have to see the dentist every 2 weeks.
Hi Alisha - I'm not sure why your daughter didn't get an x-ray taken. The x-ray would be a very valuable diagnostic tool to see if there is any chance of the teeth healing again or if they should just get removed. With any suggested treatment, it's important to weigh the pros and cons. A liquid diet may compromise your daughter's nutrition, and it may be more important to you to just get the teeth out to prevent any further damage (if there was any) to the developing permanent teeth.
You may want to get a second opinion. Unfortunately, since I haven't seen your daughter I can't really recommend one treatment over another. I hope that helps! If you have any other questions, feel free to let me know. Thanks for your comment, Alisha!
My 8 month old pulled up on a chair this morning and then toppled over. The chair came down and knocked her mouth, splitting her bottom gums open. We took her to urgent care and they said there was nothing to do, just watch it. About 6 hours later, her tooth fell out
Is there anything we can do, or need to do? She's so little
Hi Sara - I'm sorry to hear about that. Accidents happen all of the time with little kids!
It would probably be a good idea to take her in to a pediatric dentist. Since they work with such young children all of the time, they will be able to give you a good idea of the damage that was done and how likely it is to affect the development of her permanent tooth. We normally don't recommend re-implanting baby teeth due to the damage that can be done to the permanent tooth that is developing underneath.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Sara.
My 2 year old knocked out his tooth today... I called the dentist right away but they said there was nothing they could do. The kid is acting fine... I am a mess though. It'll be 4 years until the gaping hole is filled.
Hi Amber - Sometimes pediatric dentists can make a false tooth that can be attached by a wire to your son's baby molars when they come in. Some kids don't tolerate them very well though.
If it's any consolation, a lot of people expect kids to be missing teeth until all of the permanent ones come in. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for your comment, Amber!
Hi Tom,
My daughter is 8 years old, this evening, one of her permanent front tooth was hitted by a tennis racket (accident by another girl next to her). The tooth still there but there's a little bit of blood coming out from the gum. It happened around 7pm. I was so scared but still tried to feel it, it is a little bit loose compare with the other front tooth (also permanent). I asked her to have some milk and go to bed. I checked her tooth again at 11pm while she's sleeping, there's still a little bit blood coming out from the gum.
What should I do? Should I take her to see the dentist tomorrow? What is your advice for me? I'm so worry about it.
Hi Melissa - Accidents happen! When a tooth gets knocked slightly loose, it is usually called luxation. It would be a good idea to take her to the dentist so they can see just how loose the tooth is. Sometimes it's good to have the tooth splinted (attached by a small wire) to the neighboring tooth so that it can get stabilized again. Since your daughter is pretty young, the periodontal ligament around the tooth may be able to heal up fine and the tooth will return to normal. However, whenever there is trauma to the tooth, there is a chance of the nerve dying, which would mean that your daughter may need to have a root canal.
I hope that helps, Melissa! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hello,
my daughter had a fall from steps in the month of august 2009, she had hurt her 2 front upper tooth and she had bled hugely, in this tooth had changed their position , we had taken her to a local physician who couldnt do anything and refred to a pedodontist. She was fine when she was taken to the specialist very active and complained of no pain, the doctor had told to use dentogel, she was not coperative with the doctor though we had taken her several times, the doctor had told that she needs space maintainer, today when we went 2 doctor she was not coperative. My question is will it be problematic if now i leave her as it is without any treatment and allow the permanent tooth to errupt on its own, since there is no infection, no bad smell etc, she is now 4 years and 1 month. the second tooth was removed by doctor since it had just fallen down from its position and there was bad smell then hence was removed 10 days back. X rays never told us any damage to permanent teeth,
please advice, thank you
Hi Venkatesh - I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's accident. Our dental school teaches us that there is no need for a space maintainer when the four front teeth are lost early. Space maintainers are usually necessary in the back teeth. From what I've learned, I think it's fine to simply let the permanent teeth come in after the front teeth have been prematurely lost.
I hope that helps, Venkatesh. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Itz almost 2 am in Michigan & I didn't know I can't in contact with a dentist tonight! My 19 month year old daughter fell on our elevator in knocked her two front teeth out. Thers was blood but not to much. I put the teeth n milk & will have to wait till tomorrow. Will it b to late for the to perform the re-implant?? What would you do if this was your daughter? She just got her canies in but she falls in the 95% rate. PLEASE HELP
SORRY FOR ALL THE TYPOS- IM JUST SOO UPSET I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT
Hi Courtney - Normally we recommend not to re-implant baby teeth when they fall out, especially with your daughter as young as she is. Normally, teeth have a very poor prognosis when they are out of the socket for more than a few hours. At my dental school, the policy of our Pediatric Clinic is that they will not re-implant baby teeth due to the risk that the developing permanent tooth can be harmed.
If it was my 19 month old daughter and there was a lot of bleeding, I would probably not re-implant the baby tooth. It's really a hard decision because you don't want them to be without that front tooth, but you also don't want to do any damage to their permanent tooth that they will have for the rest of their lives.
I hope that helps. I do plan on writing a future post about re-implanting baby teeth and what the recommendations are. Thanks for your comment, let me know if you have any other questions.
On Monday May 23, 2011 our 4 1/2 year old son Nayden had an accident, He has been riding with no training wheels on a bicycle since he was 2 & is very good. He decided to hop on his 10 year old cousins stunt BMX bike that had no brakes (Now let me add I was not there, & if I was I wouldn't have let him on) he was riding fast & missed the turn & hit the curb. He went full force into the handle bars, crushing his four front teeth & splitting his lip open as well as the inside of his cheek. I rushed over as soon as I got the call, took him straight to the emergency room. They had to put him to sleep to stick the laceration back together. Now we are waiting till that heals so they can do Xrays on his mouth. The upper right side back molars seem to be pushed in that or the jaw bone part was pushed in. It has been one hell of a week, but Nayden has handled it better than I ever expected, he has been very strong. The very next day he was already asking to ride his bike! I recommend to all parents, to have your child wear a full size dirt bike helmet instead of a regular one. You never know & accidents do happen. Things could have been a lot worse, he could have hit his nose or head & at that hard of an impact he could have died or passed out. Kids will be kids especially boys.
Also the denist recommends we leave the front teeth as is untill he permanent teeth come out. His Dad wants to have them put fake teeth, two of them have a little piece of tooth left so he asked about caps. But she said in oder to do that she will have to kill the root & do alot of drilling. To me it's not worth putting him thru that. What would you recommend??
Hi Nia - I'm not sure what's left of his front teeth. If they broke off at the gum-line, then the nerve of the tooth would already be dead. It all depends on your priorities. If Nayden doesn't really care whether or not he has front teeth, then I probably wouldn't bother. Another option would be to have some sort of a denture made to replace his front teeth until the permanent ones come in.
I hope that answers your questions. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comments, Nia!
Hi Nia - He sounds like a normal boy! I hope he recovers well. Was he wearing a regular bike helmet when he had the accident? Those don't really offer much protection for the teeth.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Hopefully it will help prevent future dental injuries from occurring in other children!
My son knocked out one of his bottom front teeth a week ago (he just turned one) well, he didn't knock it out, he knocked it so hard it ended up on a 90 degree angle which left it poking into his bottom lip. We took him straight to hospital emergency department where they tried to push it back to the correct position, but it was stuck there so they pulled it. They told us he would be fine. Should I be concerned about how his adult tooth will grow? They didn't say he needed to see a dentist but I am stressing now after reading your article! Please advise what you think is our best option.
Hi Stacey - It is possible that his adult tooth was affected, it all depends on the physics of how the tooth was hit. Since your son is so young, it may be too difficult to get an x-ray, but you could always go to the dentist and have them look at it and get their opinion. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry does recommend the first dental visit by the age of 1!
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Stacey.
Thank you for that, I have him booked in with the family dentist next Wednesday morning, I don't know why the hospital didn't dray him then and there when it happened, as they did say that it was a good idea. Anyway, fingers crossed. What happens next if he has damaged the adult tooth?
Oh I forgot to say he did it while pulling himself to stand up against our coffee table. I thought he had just knocked his lip until all the blood started pouring out, and I could see his tooth pointing into his bottom lip.
Hi Stacey - Usually the dentist will simply let you know what (s)he sees on the x-ray so you know beforehand if there are any problems with the tooth.
Aside from that, we can only fix the teeth once they have erupted into the mouth. An x-ray will also help to see if it looks like the adult tooth is on track to come into the mouth normally.
I hope that helps, Stacey. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Again Stacey - Here's a quote from Pinkham's Pediatric Dentistry textbook about x-rays and their importance in diagnosing dental injuries:
"Radiographs are an important part of the diagnosis and management of dental injuries. They allow the clinician to detect root fractures, extent of root development, size of pulp chambers, periapical radiolucencies, resorption, degree of tooth displacement, position of unerupted teeth, jaw fractures, and the presence of tooth fragments and other foreign bodies in soft tissues. Although some radiographs will show negative findings at the initial appointment, they are nonetheless important as baseline documentation. Subsequent radiographic evidence can thus be compared with initial films."
I thought that would help out a little bit more than my response above. Let me know if you have any other questions.
MY 3YR 11MTH CHILD HAS CHIPPED HER FRONT TEETH, ONE OF WHICH IS BROKEN INTO PIECES BUT IS STILL IN HER MOUTH I GUESS HANGING BY THE GUMS. WE ARE VACA SO WE HAVE NOT SEEN A DENTIST YET AND IN THE EMERGENCY RM A PRESCRIPTION WAS GIVEN TO AVOID BACTERIA. SHE'S SPEAKING WITH A LISP AND MOVES THE TOOTH AROUND.IM CONCERNED SO IM DOING RESEARCH AND SOME INFO SAYS HER TEETH CAN BE REPAIRED. ESPECIIALLY THE ONE CHIPPED INTO PIECES.
Hi Elizabeth - It all depends on how much tooth is left. If it's only hanging on by the gums, it probably can't be repaired. The only sure way to find out is to visit your dentist when you get back home and find out your options for the tooth.
I hope that helps - Thanks for your comment, Elizabeth. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for this post.. it was very helpful..
My son is 18 months..he also had an accident and bumped his teeth on the coffee table..
only one of his tooth came out completely with the root.. i immediately took him to my dentist within half an hour of the incident.. the tooth was re-implanted ..the dentist used some special dental cement with a blue light beam to stick it in its place.. i won't know if the tooth is still in place until tomorrow morning at least.. and will see the doctor after tomorrow.. I am worried now how this procedure can effect his tooth or teeth.. and when his permanent teeth do come out.. can the damage that it might cause be fixed dentally.. ??
Hi Rima - Due to the risk or damaging the permanent teeth most dentists prefer not to re-implant the baby teeth. If there is any damage to the permanent tooth, it would most likely be what is called Localized Enamel Hypoplasia or Turner's Tooth. This Google results page has some images you can see.
It can easily be fixed dentally by placing a white filling over it (same concept as this chipped tooth that I repaired) or placing a veneer over the tooth.
I hope that helps, Rima. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment!
Hi Tom,
it's been 5 days since the implant and as I mentioned before some glue was put on his tooth from each side .. Just like braces ..which was temporarily .. Then all of a sudden today while he was playing with his sister .. He again hit his mouth on the floor .. I was heartbroken .. It's been 5 days and I literally was right beside him the whole time to guard him.. Fear that he might fall .. And then it happens
..this led to the glued cement to fell off .. He started to bleed again but the tooth didn't fall out .. I'll be seeing the dentist tomorrow since he was out of town .. What could this mean ?? Is it possible that the tooth could be stuck back on again .. Can you please explain to me what has happened ?
It's been 12 hrs since the cement fell off and The tooth is still in place .. He also ate some cereal and fruits that are smooth .. Like cherries and figs and rice too.. He was also able to drink water from his plastic cup ..
I went to dentist today to put on another small bond to his side teeths .. Almost like braces now .. On three tooths .. The dentist touched the tooth That had fallen out and said Its stuck in there cause he couldn't move it
Hi Rima - I'm glad that the tooth didn't fall out! It sounds like the bonding to the adjacent teeth helped stabilize that tooth and that it's reattached fine. Thanks for the updates, and I hope everything works out.
Boys like to do crazy things that put their teeth at risk
My son just turned 5 and he bit down on small lego pieces to separate them. Doing that caused him to loosen one of his bottom tooth. Is there a way for it to be strengthened so that it won't fall out?
Hi ChersGem - The bottom tooth may be ready to come out. Many kids bite on something hard and then notice that their tooth is loose. The roots of the baby teeth gradually dissolve as the permanent tooth gets ready to take its place in the mouth. If you have any doubts or problems, it may be best to take him in for a checkup to see if there is a problem. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
My 5 year old daughter had an accident at school yesterday and the dentist removed both her top two middle teeth. The dentist says both teeth had been fractured and there remains a small amount of tooth hidden in the gums. Since her teeth have been removed she has developed really bad breath. What would be the cause of this and how can I prevent it?
Hi Abdrew (or Andrew?) - The cause of the bad breath may be the blood in the area of the extractions. It should go away as the teeth heal. Sometimes rinsing with some warm salt water can help wash away the odor.
I hope that helps- Thanks for your comment! Let me know if you have any other questions.
My 8 year old son just lost his first molar behind the canine tooth. He has lost all 4 front teeth top and bottom but not any canines. It has been loose for awhile so we were not surprised when it came out. However, upon inspection there is a significant indention in the tooth with a matching chunk remaining solid in the gum. This tooth was capped over a year ago due to a cavity between it and the next molar so, I am concerned that the tooth broke off, whether or not it was ready to come out. He doesn't seem to have any pain or sensitivity but I do plan to take him to our Ped Dentist when I can get him in next week. Could the remainder of the tooth loosen up and fall out on it's own? I would of course like to avoid intervention if possible.
Hi Carolyn - It could eventually fall out depending on the position of the permanent tooth - every child is different! Your best bet is to see the dentist and possibly get an x-ray to make sure that the permanent tooth is looking like it's ready to move into place.
I hope that helps, Carolyn - Thanks for your comment! Let me know if you have any other questions.
My 5 year old son was eating a popsicle and came into the kitchen with his tooth in hand and mouth bleeding pretty bad. Being late in the evening we decided to wait until morning to contact his dentist. He says it doesn't hurt at all and just keeps messing with it with his tongue. How long are we looking at with him missing his bottom middle tooth? I can't believe a he could lose a tooth in a popsicle!!! Thanks for any advice.
Thanks for the article. I had the pleasure of my son running in to a wall and knocking out his front baby tooth yesterday. We decided not to re-implant it and just wait for his adult tooth to come in, but we will be calling his dentist today just to check out the gum line and the other front teeth.
When my son was about a year old, he fell & knocked one of his front teeth loose, but it didn't come out. We called our dentist & he said to just keep an eye on it. The very next day, he fell again & it seemed to push the tooth back in its place & was no longer loose. Today is six months later & tonight, after a hard landing on his bottom, the tooth just fell out....no blood, no pain, just fell out. We cannot get to a dentist right away, but I noticed the tooth is discolored. Has this tooth been dead for a while? My son never seemed to have any pain with it except for when he initially fell. Since he is only 18 months, does he just go without a tooth? Won't the teeth shift and possibly not leave room for the permanant tooth to drop down into place? Please, need some advice. Thank you.
Hello. My daughter is 6 and has already lost 4 teeth, the 5th has come out tonight. It was her front tooth but it looks as though there is some sort of skin dangling down, is this the pulp? it looks like a cone shape and is this normal?
My son aged 4 years and 3 months fell and knocked out his top front right tooth and the one to the right of it. The top front left tooth was wobbly initially but has become more secure since the accident occurred about 6 weeks ago, although the gum has receeded around the top of this tooth. I asked the dentist to look into a pedo partial but he advised against due to the risk of damage to other teeth which the denture would be attached to if my son was to fall again and impact on the fake teeth. The other reason was that it would probably be less than one year until the permanent teeth came through. I am, as you can probably image, unhappy with the appearance. My dentist said that it would be expected that without the baby teeth in place, for the permanent teeth to come through quicker, but I have read other comments online that the process is actually delayed. Can you offer any guidance as to when I can expect the teeth to come through. The middle tooth root had dissolved a little but the one on the tooth to the right if it was complete. His elder sister lost the same teeth naturally at 5 years 6 months and 6 years 1 month. Also what are your views on dentures to replace missing baby teeth? Do you consider than safe? Many thanks for any guidance you can offer.
Hi Tom...great blog! I've been reading through your back posts as our 27-month-old daughter fell while running on Christmas Eve and knocked a tooth out (the tooth on the right of the front two teeth) clean on her little play table...root and all came out super clean with little blood. Our dentist (who kindly called me back Christmas Eve) said not to put the tooth back in (citing the damage to permanent teeth issues). We also saw another dentist in the same office today and they took xrays and said everything looked okay with just a little bruising. I have a few questions for you:
1. Would losing this one tooth effect speech development at this age/stage?
2. Would it be physically uncomfortable (eating, drinking, etc.) to go without this tooth for the next five years until the permanent tooth comes in?
3. What age is appropriate to consider getting a permanent partial denture? She is so young now to understand what is happening or cooperate.
4. Do you know of any pediatric dentists in the U.S. that specialize in permanent partial dentures? We live in Colorado but are willing to travel for the right practitioner when/if the time comes.
Thanks!
Hi. My daughter accidentally elbowed our neighbours son in the face. He lost his front tooth. His mother was understandably horrified as his teeth had not yet started to loosen. He is aged 6.5. Is it really that easy to knock a tooth out that has not yet loosened? Is it essential for him to see a dentist or will nature take it's course?
My 8 mo old fell out of bed and knocked out his central incisor. I didn't realize he lost the tooth until about a week later. I thought he just knocked the tooth back into the gum. Is it possible to not see the tooth on an occlusal film? The dentist said he may have broke the buccal plate? What does this mean for the permanent tooth?