The most common injury is when a tooth is jarred or slightly loosened. Often, the only noticeable injury is bleeding from the gums. These minor injuries heal in 3 days.
The next most common injury is tooth displacement (usually pushed inward). These may need repositioning and stabilizing.
Chipped (or fractured) teeth need to be seen by a dentist.
If permanent teeth are knocked out, it is an emergency. Baby teeth that are knocked out can't be reimplanted but the underlying teeth need to be checked for damage.
Permanent (second) teeth need to be returned to their sockets and the gumline as soon as possible. Best results occur if a permanent tooth is reimplanted within 15 minutes; after 2 hours it can't be reimplanted. Ideally the tooth should be returned to the socket at the scene of the accident.
Put a piece of ice or a Popsicle on the injured gum area unless it increases the pain. If it still hurts, give your child some acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). If any teeth are loose, put your child on a soft diet for 3 days.
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