What should I look out for after an injury?
Dental Trauma - Baby and Adult Teeth
Teeth which have suffered dental trauma are unpredictable. You should monitor the teeth for any signs of infection. Sometimes the teeth either side of the obviously damaged tooth can also develop symptoms.
Favourable outcome
- No pain
- Tooth is a normal colour
- Temporary darkening of the tooth to red/grey/yellow
Unfavourable outcome
- Pain
- Abscess on the gum
- Increased mobility (but this can be normal for a baby tooth as the adult tooth starts to come through at around 6 years old)
- Permanent grey discolouration of the tooth, along with one of the above signs/symptoms
For trauma to a baby tooth, there can be problems with the underlying adult tooth:
- Doesn't erupt at the expected time (usually 6-7 years old)
- Thin or discoloured enamel (outer layer of tooth)
If you have also suffered trauma to any of the soft tissues (gum, lip or tongue), you should keep an eye on these as they can become infected. You can find out how to prevent this here.