Sometimes, dental trauma forces a tooth (or several teeth) upwards into the jawbone. The prognosis is better for teeth that have been pushed up to a lesser extent (less than 3mm), but every situation is unique. Oftentimes, the force of the trauma is great enough to injure the tooth’s ligament and fracture its socket.

If dental intrusion of either the primary or permanent teeth is suspected, it is important to contact the pediatric dentist immediately. Depending on the nature and depth of the intrusion, the pediatric dentist will either wait for the tooth to descend naturally, or perform root canal therapy to preserve the structure of the tooth.

How you can help:

• Rinse the child’s mouth with cold water.
• Place ice packs around affected areas to reduce swelling.
• Offer Tylenol for pain relief.
• Contact the pediatric dentist where possible, or proceed to the Emergency Room.