Anticipatory Guidance (continued)

Injury Prevention

• Being aware that injuries to the head, face, and mouth are common among children.
• Learning how to prevent oral injuries and how to handle oral emergencies. Because of the danger of damaging the underlying permanent teeth, never attempting to reinsert an avulsed (lost) primary tooth. It is impossible to relocate the tooth accurately, and there is danger of pushing it too far into the soft alveolar bone.
• Using an appropriate car safety seat in the back seat of the vehicle at all times. Children should ride rear facing until they weigh at least 20 lbs; it is preferable if they ride rear facing to the highest weight and height allowed by the car safety seat. Children who weigh at least 20 lbs should ride in a forward-facing car safety seat (unless their rear-facing car safety accommodates a higher weight); most forward-facing seats have a weight limit of 40 lbs, but a few have higher weight limits. After a child reaches the weight or height limit of the forward-facing car safety seat, the child should ride in a belt-postioning booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt.
• Not placing a child of any age in a shopping cart. Instead, consider using a stroller or a backpack or frontpack while shopping with a child.
• Using safety locks on cabinets. Keeping all poisonous substances, medicines, cleaning agents, health and beauty aids, and paints and paint solvents locked in a safe place.
• Keeping pet food and dishes out of reach. Not permitting the child to approach the pet while it is eating.
• Keeping appliances and dangling telephone, electric, blind, and drapery cords out of reach.
• Locking doors or using safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs, and using safety locks and safety devices on windows above the ground floor.
• Supervising the child on the stairs and when climbing on and off furniture.
• Not giving toys small enough to be placed in the mouth. Making sure that toys do not have parts that can become detached. Keeping toys with small part or sharp edges out of reach.
• Making sure that playgrounds are carefully maintained and that equipment is in good condition. All playground equipment should be surrounded by a soft surface (e.g., fine, loose sand; wood chips; wood mulch) or by rubber mats manufactured for this use.
• Supervising the child on playground equipment. Making sure children play only on developmentally appropriate equipment.
• Making sure that toys are soft (e.g., balls not made with leather or hard materials).
• Ensuring that the child wears a bicycle helmet, even on a tricycle.
• Providing the child’s caregivers with the dentist’s emergency phone contacts, and ensuring that the caregivers know how to handle all emergencies.