What's my husband's son done now? | Knocked out tooth, first aid.

Knocked out tooth, first aid

Accidents happen a lot in our family. Is that because of the sex of the offspring (all boys)? Or is it more about their wild, adventurous souls? I suspect the latter.

So it wasn’t entirely surprising when the youngest managed to fall onto another person’s knee while jumping on the trampoline some time ago. Although, it was a bit unexpected to see one tooth pushed up into the gum and another out of the socket.

Now I'm running the first aid files in my head for "knocked out tooth, first aid".

Because it all happened in front of a group of girls, my husband was oddly proud that our lad didn’t make a sound. This, from a child who has previously been known to stage a full-scale drama over a splinter.

Once the initial shock wore off, we slipped straight into first aid mode. Pressure on the bleeding, reassurance (for him and for the audience), and a quick call to the emergency dentist.

The dentist was fantastic, and surprised I had stuck the tooth back in the hole. But was glad I had.

Our boy wore his war wound with pride. A few hours later, I caught him practising his “rugged smile” in the mirror.

My husband called it character-building. I called it another page in the What’s My Husband’s Son Done Now? chronicles.

If there’s a moral here, it’s probably this: trampolines, knees, and teeth are a bad combination - but a calm adult and a bit of first aid knowledge (and practice) can turn panic into action. And in this house, we’ve had plenty of practice.

I should probably mention that I lost my own front teeth playing rugby back in high school, so maybe this is just karma working its way down the generations. The good news is, dental first aid has come a long way since the “spit on it and she’ll be right” days.

Knocked-Out Tooth: New Zealand First Aid Guidelines

In New Zealand, health authorities and dental professionals have clear guidelines on what to do. The advice differs depending on whether the tooth is a permanent (adult) tooth or a baby (primary) tooth. Acting quickly is crucial, and proper handling can mean the difference between saving the tooth or losing it.

First aid tip: If a permanent tooth gets knocked out, handle it by the crown not the root, rinse it gently, and pop it back in the socket or into milk while you head for the dentist. It needs to be done immediately, otherwise the swelling with make it difficult to get back in place.

But if it’s a baby tooth - leave it out and let the Tooth Fairy handle it!