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Danish children losing teeth unnecessarily due to improper first aid
Lucie Rychla
September 18th, 2015
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This article is more than 9 years old.
With the right treatment, chipped and knocked-out teeth can be re-implanted
One in three Danish children has a milk tooth chipped or knocked out every year, while one in four experiences damage to their permanent teeth, reports Politiken.
Although having a chipped tooth fixed is a fairly simple dental procedure, children can encounter serious problems of one of their teeth is dislodged in its entirety (avulsed) and they do not receive the correct kind of first aid.
Campaign about tooth trauma
According to the public dentists’ association, De Offentlige Tandlæger, only a few adults know what to do when a child has a tooth injury.
That is why the organisation has launched a campaign, ‘First aid for tooth trauma’, and is distributing posters and leaflets to schools, daycare centres and sports clubs.
May affect development of jaws
“It is very important for both children and adults to keep their natural teeth even after an injury,” Ida Nøhr Larsen, a dentist from Alberton, told Politiken.
Missing teeth may affect the development of a child’s jaw.
“If a child is missing a tooth because it has been knocked out, then there’s no bone in the area of the jaw and it may be more difficult to get an implant later in life,” explained an expert in dental trauma, Eva Fejerskov Lauridsen.
Get to a dentist asap
In many cases, chipped and knocked-out teeth can be re-implanted, but the chances of success are highest if the injured person arrives at the dentist within 30 minutes.
Dentists recommend placing the tooth back into its socket and biting gently on a gauze or a wet tea bag to help keep it in place.
The tooth can also be transported to the dentist in a container covered in saliva or milk. It should not be scrubbed nor touched anywhere besides the crown.
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