Knocked It Out Of The Park: Guide To Handling Your Child's Knocked Out Tooth At The Ballpark

From their glove and cleats to snacks for the team, it is easy to see the challenges of preparing for your child's upcoming baseball game. Unfortunately, preparing for each possible aspect of the game can be overwhelming. Considering more than 2.6 million children up to 19 years of age require emergency treatment for injuries related to sports or recreation, preparing for a possible accident is smart. Many of these injuries involve cuts, bruises, and sprains, but you should also prepare for a dental emergency.

High-flying, fast balls and sliding into home can easily knock out your child's tooth, but you probably do not know what to do after this injury. Using this guide, you will have the tools to handle your child's knocked out tooth at the ballpark.

Contact your Dentist

If your child loses a baby tooth at the ballpark, visiting a dentist is not a priority. If one of your child's permanent teeth dislodges, contact a 24-hour dentist immediately to schedule an appointment.

If your child's dentist can replant the tooth within 30 minutes, there is a higher chance of success.

Apply Pressure and Rinse

Once you contact the dentist, inspect your child's gums for signs of bleeding. Light bleeding is common after losing a tooth, so you will need to apply pressure to the gums using a piece of cloth or tissue.

Ask coaches or other parents if they have a first aid kit with gauze available. If not, gather some tissue from a nearby restroom.

Have your child apply light pressure to the gums surrounding the dislodged tooth. This will stop any bleeding. After a few minutes, allow your child to rinse their mouth out with warm water.

Handling the Dislodged Tooth

If possible, locate the dislodged tooth. Handling the tooth safely is key to saving the tooth and preventing infections.

Be sure your hands are clean before picking up the tooth. Do not touch the bottom portion, or root, of the tooth. Pick the tooth up by its crown, the top, white portion.

Inspect the tooth for dirt, sand, or grass. If the tooth is dirty, do not try to brush the debris off or rinse it in water. This may damage the root, which will prevent a successful replantation.

Storing the Dislodged Tooth

Going from the ballpark to the dentist's office will require a safe method of storing and transporting the tooth. Unfortunately, a baseball glove or equipment bag will not be a safe space for your tooth. At the ballpark, consider the following methods to store the dislodged tooth:

  • Mouth – After applying pressure to stop your child's gums from bleeding and rinsing, your child's mouth is the best place to store the knocked-out tooth. Help your child place the tooth directly back into its original socket. Your child should bite down gently on the tooth to hold it in place. If the tooth is dirty, consider a different method of storage.
  • Cloth – Wrap the tooth in a clean cloth and store in your bag or pocket. You can also use a clean plastic bag, if available.
  • Milk – You may have a cooler filled with juices and water, but milk is a more effective option for storing your child's tooth. Visit a nearby convenience store and purchase a small bottle of milk. Pour some milk into a clean plastic bag or small container. Place the tooth inside and head to the dentist.

Pain Relief

Your child may experience some pain after their injury, but finding relief may be difficult at the ballpark. For fast relief, visit the snack stand and ask for some ice. Place the ice in a plastic bag or wrap in a cloth. Have your child hold the ice pack nearest to the dislodged tooth's socket. The ice will numb the area, so they will have relief until their dentist appointment.

Knocking it out of the ballpark is a goal for many baseball players, but you do not want your child's tooth to get knocked out. Using these tips, you can help safely handle their dislodged tooth at the ballpark.

About Me

Tips to Help With Pediatric Dental Anxiety

My child's first visit to the dentist was the stuff that nightmares are made of. She kicked. She screamed. By the end of the visit, she and I were exhausted. After talking to the dentist in a separate consultation, I learned some useful tips for helping her to prepare for her next visit. The dentist assured me the next visit would be better and it was. I started this blog to help other parents whose children are dealing with dental anxiety. With useful information from my dentist and other parents, you can learn techniques to make the visit to the dentist more exciting for your children.

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