Children’s dental trauma and protection Children’s teeth are often knocked out or broken or displaced by accidental collisions during strenuous sports or play. This is due to the loose periodontal and alveolar bone tissues of the baby teeth and young permanent teeth, and the physiological characteristics that the roots of young permanent teeth are not fully formed during the developmental period and have shorter roots. Children are growing and developing, and trauma to the teeth can cause pulpal tissue necrosis if not treated in time or improperly treated, leading to chronic apical inflammation or tooth misalignment, tooth loss and abnormal bite and jaw development. When a tooth is impacted or struck with less force, there may be no tooth fracture or hard tissue damage. The child may be asymptomatic or may only feel discomfort when the upper and lower teeth bite together, and in severe cases may experience tooth soreness. Because there is no physical damage to the tooth, children and parents tend to ignore it and rarely seek medical attention at the time of injury. However, dental injuries can cause varying degrees of pulpal congestion and edema of the apical pulp tissue, regardless of the severity of the injury. Pulpal congestion is generally recoverable, but if the injury is severe, it will cause pulpal bleeding, and the blood vessels in the apical region will be crushed and broken, which may lead to pulpal necrosis, crown discoloration, and pulpal calcification in the long term, and may also cause internal or external resorption of the tooth root. Therefore, even if the tooth is not fractured after injury, it is necessary to seek medical attention, review it regularly, and solve any problems in time to avoid adverse consequences. When a tooth is loose or displaced after an injury, it is important to seek medical attention promptly, have the affected tooth reset and fixed, and avoid chewing food with the affected tooth for at least two weeks. When a tooth breaks after an injury and a tooth defect occurs, the child can usually be seen. It is especially important to note that parents should bring their children to the doctor even if the defect is small and has no symptoms. Unlike adults, children’s teeth are not yet mature and the dentin tubules are large. When the inner layer of dentin is exposed due to tooth injury, infection can enter the pulp through the dentin tubules and cause pulp inflammation and even apical infection and pulp necrosis. If the crown fracture exposes the pulp, the child will feel significant pain, and timely medical attention can preserve the living pulp as much as possible. If the crown pulp is infected and the root is not yet formed, a live pulpotomy is performed to remove the infected crown pulp and preserve the uninfected root pulp, which will allow the root to continue to develop. If the tooth is completely lost, the tooth should be reimplanted as soon as possible, and buying time is the key to the success of reimplantation. Do not discard the lost tooth, because children are in a period of vigorous growth and development, and the tissue has a strong ability to repair and regenerate, so the lost tooth can be reinserted into the original socket and fixed for a period of time under certain conditions, and the traumatized tooth may still continue to perform its function, which we call dental replantation. Tooth reimplantation must be done every second. Parents often take the lost tooth by hand or wrap it in paper or handkerchief and bring it to the hospital for consultation. After the tooth is completely lost in the socket, it is exposed to the air for a long time, and the dry environment makes the periodontal membrane cells on the root surface necrotic and affects the healing of periodontal tissue after replantation. If the deciduous tooth is covered with mud, it is best to rinse it thoroughly with saline or tap water, do not scrub or scratch the root surface with instruments, as this will destroy the periodontal tissue on the root surface. Immediately after rinsing, the lost tooth should be inserted into the original socket, or placed in the saliva under the tongue of the mouth, or in fresh milk or saline, and seek medical attention immediately. The length of time from tooth loss to implantation in the original socket is the key to the success of replantation, and the shorter the time, the higher the success rate. The shorter the time, the higher the success rate. The treatment and prognosis of a well-protected tooth that is implanted back into the socket within 30 minutes is more satisfactory. If it takes more than 90 minutes, the success rate will be greatly reduced. The implantation is not usually done after the traumatic loss of a baby tooth. Children’s dental trauma protection Sportswear and shoes should be worn when playing sports to avoid inconvenience or slipping; when participating in sports, you should be familiar with the venue to avoid blindly rushing and running; do not throw stones, bricks and other dangerous goods at each other; children who often participate in boxing, skateboarding, roller skating and other activities can wear a “mouthguard”. Mouthguard is an effective protective apparatus used to protect teeth from injury, it is to reduce the force on a single tooth by allowing the teeth to be cushioned, while applying the overall force; it can greatly reduce the risk of trauma to the lips and cheeks and tongue, trauma to the teeth and trauma to the jawbone, and can reduce the impact of external forces on the head and neck, thereby reducing the risk of trauma. The mouthguard must be made by professional doctors and technicians according to different needs to ensure precise retention, stable wearing, effective impact mitigation, minimizing oral and facial injuries, while ensuring comfort and durability, and can be completed in only 2~3 visits.