Kids sometimes play rough, and a chipped tooth is an unfortunate consequence. If your child comes to you with a chipped tooth and bloody mouth, you may panic. However, keeping a cool head and knowing exactly what to do will help your child stay calm, which is important. Here are three steps to follow if your child chips a tooth:

1. Contact your Houston Pediatric Dentist immediately.

Call your Houston pediatric dentist to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If your regular dentist’s office isn’t open, contact an emergency dentist. Depending on the severity of the chipped tooth and how painful it is, you may need to bring your child in right away.

Ask your dentist for instructions on how to care for the tooth before the appointment. After the appointment, ask about how to properly care for the fixed tooth. Depending on the treatment for the tooth, you may have to adjust your child’s diet to avoid foods that could cause further damage.

2. Apply ice.

First, have your child rinse out their mouth with water. If the area is bleeding, rinsing it out will allow you to get a closer look at the injury. Then, apply ice or a cold compress to their face to reduce swelling. Try to take a look at the tooth to see whether it’s chipped, fractured, or completely knocked out. Your Houston pediatric dentist may have you take a look while still on the phone, so they can give you more detailed instructions. While you head to the dentist, have your child hold a piece of gauze over the chipped tooth to stop the bleeding and to prevent further damage.

3. Find the tooth fragments.

Your dentist may be able to reconstruct the tooth if you have all of the missing fragments. Search the area where your child chipped their tooth for any tooth fragments, and bring them to your appointment.

Seeing an experienced pediatric dentist is key in fixing your child’s chipped tooth. Pediatric dentists have the proper tools and equipment to work with infants, toddlers, and young children, and they understand that chipped teeth and other dental injuries can be very frightening for kids. Your pediatric dentist will fix the injury right away and make sure there’s no other damage.