Active children often fall and bump their mouths. This article guides parents through calm first aid at home and tells you when to take your child to be seen right away.
- After a fall, first check whether your child hurt the head or neck; fainting or vomiting needs emergency care.
- Stop bleeding with clean gauze pressed for about 10 minutes and use a cold pack on the outside of the cheek.
- A knocked-out baby tooth should not be pushed back, while a permanent tooth needs a dentist as soon as possible.
- Keep watching the tooth for weeks afterwards because it may change colour or develop a pimple on the gum.
First step: stay calm and check the whole child
When a child hits the mouth in a fall, comfort them first. The first thing to check is whether the head or neck was hurt. If your child faints, vomits, becomes unusually sleepy or cries inconsolably, go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
Home first aid for a bleeding mouth
- Let your child rinse gently with clean water so you can see the injury.
- Press clean gauze or a clean cloth on the bleeding spot for about 10 minutes.
- Apply a cold pack to the outside of the cheek to reduce swelling, never ice directly on the skin.
- Give soft, cool food for the first few days.
If bleeding has not stopped after 10 to 15 minutes of steady pressure, take your child to be seen right away.
Check how the teeth were affected
- A tooth that is loose, pushed into the gum or pushed outwards.
- A chipped, cracked or broken tooth.
- Swollen, torn or heavily bleeding gum.
- A tooth knocked out of its place.
If a piece has broken off, find it and keep it in a clean container to bring along. You can read more in what to do about a cracked, chipped or broken tooth.
If a tooth is knocked out of the gum
Parents need to tell the two situations apart. For a baby tooth that is knocked out, do not push it back into the gum, because it may harm the permanent tooth forming below. Take your child to be checked. For a permanent tooth that is knocked out, the sooner you reach a dentist the better. You can keep the tooth in clean water or milk, hold it by the crown only and never touch the root.
Keep watching afterwards
Even when a tooth looks normal, it may turn grey, develop a pimple on the gum or start to hurt after a few weeks. You can read more in why a child's baby teeth change colour and what to know when children lose baby teeth.
When to go for a check right away
Take your child in soon if a tooth is loose, knocked out or pushed in, the wound is deep, bleeding will not stop, swelling is marked or your child is in too much pain to eat. Parents can call the hotline 028.3868.1097 or come directly to Nha Khoa Kỳ Hòa at 266A - 268, Đường 3 Tháng 2, Phường Hòa Hưng, Ho Chi Minh City.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop a child's mouth bleeding after a fall?
Press clean gauze or a clean cloth on the bleeding spot for about 10 minutes. If it still does not stop, take your child to be seen right away.
Can a knocked-out baby tooth be put back?
Do not push a baby tooth back into the gum yourself. Take your child to be checked so the dentist can protect the permanent tooth bud underneath.
How long after a fall can a tooth change colour?
A tooth may turn grey after a few weeks to a few months. If you see a colour change, a pimple on the gum or pain, take your child for a check.