Teeth can be fractured, dislocated, or lost from the socket. Injuries to the teeth and bones supporting the teeth are most commonly caused by accidents.

Prevention tips

Using safety belts, car safety seats, bike helmets, and mouth guards can help prevent injuries to the head, face, mouth, teeth, oral tissues, and jaws.

Baby gates placed at both the top and bottom of stairs can prevent accidental falls by infants and toddlers. Baby walkers are frequent causes of oral injury and use of baby walkers is discouraged.

When children begin to engage in athletic and recreational activities, a mouth guard can be worn to reduce the chance of oral injury. It is estimated that mouth guards prevent between 100,000 to 200,000 oral injuries each year.

Oral Trauma

Oral trauma requires immediate medical attention.

A primary tooth that has been completely knocked out is not likely to be replaced, as there is potential for damage to the permanent tooth.

• If a permanent tooth has been knocked completely out, the best treatment is to reinsert the tooth at the time of injury.
• If the tooth is not able to be reinserted, the tooth should be placed in milk and brought to the dentist immediately for replacement in the mouth.​​

Oral injuries to the face and mouth happen often among young children. Because oral injuries can affect children for the rest of their lives, it is important for parents to try to prevent these injuries.

Most oral injuries happen when children fall. Children may stumble as they are learning to walk and when they are physically active. Injuries may happen when children trip on things, are pushed by another child, climb on stairs and furniture, or run with items in their mouths. Children’s top front teeth are injured most often. They can be chipped, pushed into the gum, pushed forward or back in the mouth, or knocked out. Bruises or cuts in or near the mouth are also common oral injuries. Some children receive burns from chewing on electrical cords that are plugged into a socket.

Child maltreatment includes all types of abuse and neglect of a child under age 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role. There are four types of maltreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.

When children are maltreated, their health and well-being may be affected. Often, there are behavioral and psychological changes among children who are maltreated. Sudden changes in a child’s behavior, such as being fearful of certain places or people or acting in ways that are not normal, may occur in children who are maltreated.

Oral Health Signs of Child Maltreatment

These are the oral health signs of children who are physically and sexually abused:

• Physical abuse. Oral injuries can result from a range of causes, from being hit to forced exposure to hot liquids or harsh chemicals. If physical abuse is suspected, oral health signs may include cuts in the mouth, loosened or broken teeth, and bruises or other injuries to the face.
• Sexual abuse. Oral injuries are a common result of sexual abuse, but these injuries are harder to identify than oral injuries from physical abuse. If sexual abuse is suspected, oral health signs may include unexplained soreness, redness, or bruising around the mouth and on the roof of the mouth toward the back of the child’s throat.

Injuries to the head, face, and mouth are common in young children. Even when parents do their best to keep children safe, oral injuries can happen. Most oral injuries happen when young children are learning to walk. The top front teeth are injured most often.

Tips to help you know what to do for common oral injuries:

• Tongue or lip injured. Clean the injured area. Press a clean washcloth on it to stop bleeding. Keep your child’s head up and facing forward to prevent choking. Put ice, wrapped in a clean washcloth, on the area to reduce swelling. If bleeding doesn’t stop after 30 minutes, take your child to your child’s dentist or doctor right away. If the dentist or doctor is not available, take your child to the nearest urgent care center right away.

• Tooth chipped or cracked. Clean the injured area. Contact your child’s dentist or an urgent care center right away. Have your child rinse with water, if possible. If there is bleeding, press a clean washcloth on the gum around the tooth to stop it.

• Tooth knocked out. Contact your child’s dentist right away. Do not try to put a baby tooth back into the mouth. Clean the injured area. If there is bleeding, have your child bite on the area with a clean washcloth for 15 to 30 minutes to stop it.

• Tooth knocked loose, moved, or pushed into gum. If your child’s tooth has been knocked loose, moved forward or backward, or pushed into the gum, contact your child’s dentist or an urgent care center right away. Have your child rinse with water, if possible. Press a clean washcloth on the gum around the tooth to stop bleeding.

• Toothache. If your child has a toothache, it is likely that the tooth has a cavity. Make a dental appointment as soon as possible to find out what the problem is and get treatment.

• A mouthguard is a horseshoe-shaped, soft plastic device used to protect the teeth, lips, gums and cheeks from injuries that can occur when playing many different sports.
• A recent survey of Illinois high school interscholastic coaches revealed that mouth injuries (cut lips or broken teeth) are fairly common and that more than half of the athletes do not wear mouthguards.
• Mouthguards have been found to prevent more than 200,000 mouth injuries a year in high school and college football.
• Several studies suggest that mouthguards reduce the number of concussions by decreasing the force of injuries.
• There are three types of mouthguards:
  • Stock - ready to wear
  • Mouth formed - boil first and then bite to fit
  • Custom made - made by a dental professional from an impression made of your teeth
• Mouthguards can range in price from $1 to $100. The money saved from avoiding costly injuries to your mouth is well worth the investment.
• After using a mouthguard, it should be rinsed with water and stored in a rigid container with holes in it to allow the mouthguard to dry. Mouthguards can last for more than one season when cared for properly.
• The American Dental Association and other sports dentistry groups recommend the use of mouthguards in all organized team sports where a mouth injury can occur. This includes football, soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball and wrestling.

As a parent, you want to keep your child safe, but you learn that injuries can happen in a moment. Children can injure their mouths when they fall or trip. They can also injure their mouths when they climb on furniture or run with something in their mouth.

Tips for preventing injuries to your child’s mouth:

• Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Put safety locks or latches on cabinets and drawers.
• Cover sharp corners.
• Keep one hand on your child while he is on a changing table.
• When feeding your child, put her in a high chair or booster seat. Remember to buckle the seatbelt.
• Always buckle your child into the car seat in the back seat of a car or truck.
• Pick up toys and keep floors clear so children don’t trip and fall.
• Make sure rugs have nonskid pads or backing.
• Watch your child when he is on high places, like playground equipment.
• Put your baby in a front pack while shopping. Or put your child in the shopping cart and use a safety belt. Don’t leave your child alone or out of reach in a shopping cart.
• Don’t let your child walk or run with anything in her mouth, like sippy cups, popsicles, or toys.

In case of emergency, call your child’s dental or medical clinic right away. If you can’t reach them, take your child to the emergency room. Give your child’s dental and medical clinic phone numbers to others who take care of your child.