Hello!
My son (3.5 years old) hit his teeth in a fall. He bled heavily and his two upper central incisors became loose. Of course I took him to the dentist. At the check-up a week later she found that the teeth were still loose and the gums still inflamed. She gave us another 5 days, after which she says an X-ray will be needed and, if the root is fractured, the tooth will have to be removed. She recommended rinsing with chamomile. How long do 'bruised' gums take to heal before the inflammation disappears? Can a tooth become firm and reattach in inflamed gums, or does the inflammation first have to be treated? What else can I do besides rinsing with chamomile? And if the tooth has to be removed, how is extraction performed in such young children — local anaesthesia, perhaps even general anaesthesia?
Thank you for any advice or even just a hint!
Have a nice day, Helena
Dentist Tomaž Rotar answers:
Dear Sir/Madam!
In cases of injury to deciduous teeth, treatment options are much more limited than with injuries to permanent teeth. Based on the symptoms described after the injury, I assume that the child sustained subluxation of both upper incisors. In principle, the mobility may decrease over time, but unfortunately the teeth will most likely remain non-vital despite becoming firm again, which can lead to later complications (complicated gangrene...). If symptoms of inflammation (pain, swelling, redness) do not subside within a few days, or if infection is present, I recommend removal of the deciduous incisors regardless of whether the root is fractured or not. In this situation you cannot help the child yourself; hygiene remains essential as usual.
Extraction of deciduous teeth is simple and is performed under local anaesthesia.
Have a nice day!