You Can't Handle the Tooth! Adventures in Managing Acute Pediatric Dental Injuries

Monday, April 28, 2025

9:15am – 10:45am HST

Location: Convention Center: 303

CE: 1.5

Leader(s)

Kaynan Doctor, MD, MBBS, BSc. (he/him/his)

Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Wilmington, Delaware, United States

Co-Leader(s)

Katheryn Goldman, DMD, MPH, PhD

Pediatric Dental Residency Program Director, Dental Outreach Program Director
Nemours Children's Health
Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Omar El-Sayed, DDS

Pediatric Dentist
Petite Smiles, United States
Elysha Pifko, MD (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
NemoursAlfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, United States
Theresa Barrett, MD, PhD (she/her/hers)

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow
NemoursAlfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Heba Rashed, DDS (she/her/hers)

Pediatric Dentist
Petite Smiles
Lorton, Virginia, United States
Rahima Mahmoodi, DMD

Pediatric dental resident
Nemours Children's Health, United States

Disclosure(s):

Kaynan Doctor, MD, MBBS, BSc.: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Katheryn Goldman, DMD, MPH, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Omar El-Sayed, DDS: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Elysha L. Pifko, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Theresa C. Barrett, MD, PhD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Heba Rashed, DDS: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Rahima Mahmoodi, DMD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Workshop Description: When a child presents to us with an acute dental fracture or avulsion the most common response is to immediately call your friendly neighborhood dentistry team. However, what if they are not instantly available? How do we salvage those pearly whites?

Many pediatric emergency departments and urgent care centers lack the skills, equipment, and comfort level to perform basic stabilization of dental injuries. This can be a dilemma especially when families present with expectations either via emergency services or following a referral to a location where pediatric dental services may not operate on a regular basis.

With older children, protecting the pulp or splinting an avulsed permanent tooth as soon as possible may prevent the need for recurrent dental procedures and improve both cosmetic and functional outcomes. By learning basic dental stabilization procedures, providers can ensure timely, effective, and pain-relieving care.

This session will start with didactics to review pediatric oral and dental injuries including lacerations, avulsions, fractures as well as methods of stabilization for the pediatrician. Learners will then participate in a hands-on practical session interspersed with discussions that will introduce splinting and composite repair of permanent teeth to preserve dental health and facilitate outpatient follow-up.

Learning Objectives:

Identify common pediatric dental injuries and understand nomenclature, anatomy, and terminology.
Stabilize an avulsed permanent tooth using a composite periodontal dressing or a bonded wire splint.
Prepare and apply appropriate temporary protective material to a fractured permanent tooth.