Oral and Dental Trauma in Kids

From playground falls to sports injuries, oral trauma is part of growing up. But when a tooth gets chipped, knocked out or a lip is cut, it can be stressful for families and challenging for providers. In this episode, we take a closer look at pediatric dental and oral trauma from the primary care perspective. We are focusing on what to look for, when to act and how to guide families through those anxious first moments after an injury.

This episode was recorded on the exhibit floor at the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics Conference in Denver, Colorado. Joining us is Erica Brecher, DMD. She is a pediatric dentist with Duke Street Pediatric Dentistry and is on staff at Duke Children's Hospital. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry.

Some highlights from this episode include: 

• Most common oral and dental traumas in kids 
• How outcomes differ from baby teeth to permanent teeth 
• What steps a pediatrician can take to save a tooth 
• Why a strong partnership between the pediatric and dental home can improve outcomes 

To access the dental trauma guide mentioned in this episode, click here. To access the app "Tooth SOS" click here. For more information on Children's Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.