We are not dentists but we do see a lot of dental trauma in the Pediatric Emergency Department. In one report of 1,459 patients presenting with dental emergencies 37% had trauma. There are three things I wanted to share with you based on a talk on dental trauma this morning.

Report the number of the injured tooth for adult teeth, and letter for primary teeth. Use an odontogram (see below).
Avulsions and Laxations should be seen emergently by a dentist (in our Emergency Department it is that day) because if the blood clot stabilizes in the socket the outcomes are less favorable.
You absolutely should reference The Dental Trauma Guide’s Trauma Pathfinder. It is an essential tool where you can identify an injury and it will walk you through step-by-step management.

The Dental Trauma Guide: Trauma Pathfinder

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