Cracked tooth

Teeth are the strongest parts of the human body, even stronger than bone, but that doesn’t mean they’re injury proof. Children chip or break their teeth all the time due to falls, sports injuries, and even chomping down on hard foods like candy or ice.

If your child has broken a tooth, he or she needs to come in for an x-ray and exam as soon as possible. The dentist will determine the severity of the fracture and discuss the appropriate treatment options with you. Depending on the class of the fracture and whether or not it’s a permanent or primary tooth, treatment options could involve smoothing the chip out, placing a small composite filling, doing a root canal and crown, or extracting the tooth in the most severe cases.

If your child’s tooth is broken, chipped, or fractured, see your pediatric dentist as soon as possible. Otherwise, your tooth could be damaged further or become infected. If your child is complaining of pain, you can give him/her a dose of over the counter pain medication. Icing the area may help with pain and swelling as well.