If your child loves to run around and play outside, you should definitely encourage them to continue that style of play. It is a healthy habit that your son or daughter could carry on throughout his or her life. Even so, you may be worried about his or her teeth, so here are some tips that could come in handy as you navigate the world of sports and tooth care.

Always Protect Your Child's Mouth During Sports

Just as you would have your son or daughter wear a helmet while riding a bike or use elbow and knee pads while roller skating, you should have him or her don a mouth guard as well. Contact sports such as soccer, basketball and football (even of the kiddie variety) all carry the risk of falls and crashes. While you can't protect your child from getting hurt, you can help prevent a serious injury to his or her teeth. A mouth guard will cover your little one's teeth so that even if he or she does take a hit, your child is not likely to knock out a tooth.

What Happens if Your Child's Tooth is Knocked Out?

So maybe your child was being really adventurous, and they dislodged a baby tooth. Well, the good news is that the extraction was bound to happen anyway, although removing the baby tooth by force is not recommended.

Generally speaking, your child should be okay. If this baby tooth was not loose to begin with, then you should contact a pediatric dentist, like one at Cobbe Dental & Orthodontics, and let them know. They might have some further instructions to avoid infection. Then, have your son or daughter rinse his or her mouth with water and minimize swelling with a cold compress.

What About a Chipped Baby Tooth?

Oops. Well, it does happen. If this is the case for you, immediately contact your pediatric dentist and let him or her know. Hopefully, the dental professional can see you in the office the same day. It may be possible to preserve the chipped baby tooth. Nevertheless, if the tooth is broken beyond repair, the dentist may have to remove it.

In the interim, while you wait for your child to be seen by the dentist, have your son or daughter rinse with water and use a cold compress. If there are any stray bits or tooth fragments, collect them and bring them to the dentist.

Continue to report any dental concerns to your local pediatric dentist to keep your child's teeth healthy and happy. In addition, don't neglect routine dental visits. If your child has not had an appointment within the last six months, schedule one today.

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