E-scooter dental injuries – fractures, frequency, prevention, and treatment

E-scooters: a breath of freedom… and unexpected impacts

In recent years, e-scooters have taken over cities like Geneva. Practical and fun, they appeal to young and old alike for getting around quickly. But this new form of mobility comes with a notable rise in accidents. Falls, collisions: the face and mouth are often on the front line in a bad scooter fall. Broken teeth, jaw fractures, injured lips… These dental accidents are more common than you might think. How do they happen, how often, and above all, how can they be prevented and managed? Let’s take a closer look so that riding a scooter stays a pleasure rather than the start of a dental nightmare.

Accidents on the rise: broken teeth galore

The statistics speak for themselves: as scooters have grown in popularity, dental and facial injuries have skyrocketed. Dentists have sounded the alarm after seeing a 23% increase in scooter accidents in one year, with a very large number of head and facial injuries. In children, the dental consequences are especially notable: 6-11-year-olds are the most affected, especially boys, who tend to be more daring. Why teeth? Because in a forward fall, you tend to land face-first on the ground or against the handlebars, and the incisors (front teeth) take the impact.

Types of dental injuries from scooter accidents include:

• Tooth fracture : one or more pieces of tooth broken off. It may be a superficial chip of enamel or a deeper fracture exposing the dentin, or even the pulp (the “nerve”). Often the upper incisors.
• Tooth luxation : the tooth has been displaced from its normal position. It may be loose, pushed into the gum, or, on the contrary, partially out of its socket.
• Avulsion : the tooth has been completely knocked out of the mouth by the impact. This is what’s called a knocked-out tooth. It’s common with hard impacts: the tooth is found on the ground (sometimes buried in dirt or broken into several pieces).
• Associated injuries : cuts to the lips or tongue (broken teeth can lacerate soft tissue), jaw fractures (maxilla or mandible), or fracture of the alveolar bone (the bone surrounding the tooth).
• Dental concussion : sometimes the tooth is neither visibly broken nor displaced, but the impact has bruised the ligament that holds it in the bone. The tooth may seem intact right afterward but become painful or necrotic (die) in the following weeks.

Prevention: how can you avoid breakage?

Wear a helmet… and more – Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended on a scooter (and mandatory for children in some countries). A good helmet protects against head injuries and can partly absorb a facial impact. However, a standard helmet doesn’t cover the jaw or mouth. For optimal dental protection, especially for children, wearing a mouthguard (like those used in contact sports) is worth considering. Admittedly, it’s not (yet) common practice to wear a mouthguard to ride a scooter around town, but for kids hooked on speed or skatepark tricks, it can prevent a lot of dental injuries.

Learn how to “fall well” – It’s helpful to teach children (and remind yourself) a few reflexes when a fall is imminent. Try to protect your face with your arms if you go over the handlebars, for example. It may seem instinctive, but when you’re caught off guard, you don’t always think of it. Practicing this reaction can make the difference between an impact on your teeth and one on your forearms (better to scrape your elbow than break your incisors).

Adjust how you ride – Prevention is also about behavior. On an e-scooter, avoid excessive speeds, especially on uneven surfaces. Slow down on cobblestones, potholes, and curbs: these are classic hazards that cause falls. Keep both hands on the handlebars; many falls happen when people are holding something or using their phone while riding. Finally, stay focused: anticipate obstacles, unpredictable pedestrians, and cars pulling out.

What should you do if a tooth is broken or knocked out?

Despite all precautions, accidents happen fast. If you or your child falls and a tooth is affected, don’t panic: you need to act quickly and calmly.

1. Check the person’s overall condition – First, make sure there is no serious head injury (loss of consciousness, deep wound) that requires emergency medical care. If the person is bleeding heavily or shows signs of a concussion, call emergency services (144 in Switzerland). If the injury mainly involves the tooth or mouth, you can handle it as a dental emergency.
2. Find the fragments or the knocked-out tooth – If the tooth is broken, try to find the broken piece (the dentist can sometimes bond it back on). If an entire tooth has come out, look for it right away. Always handle the tooth by the crown (the visible white part), and avoid touching the root.
3. Keep the tooth or fragment in the right conditions – A knocked-out permanent tooth can often be reimplanted successfully if it is put back very quickly and stored properly. The golden rule is to never let it dry out. Ideally, place the tooth in a container of milk (milk is compatible with the cells of the periodontal ligament). If you don’t have milk, keep it in the injured person’s saliva (for example, ask them to spit into a small container and put the tooth in it). Only rinse it briefly with clean water if it is very dirty, without scrubbing. Do not store it in tap water alone, as this would damage the cells, and do not apply alcohol or disinfectant to the tooth.
4. See a dentist urgently – Contact your dentist in Geneva or the nearest dental emergency service. Explain the situation: a tooth broken or knocked out in an accident. Time is critical, especially for a knocked-out tooth: ideally, you should reach the dentist within the hour. The sooner the tooth is reimplanted, the better its chances of survival. In the meantime, gently hold the tooth in place (if you have put it back) or keep the fragment in the moist medium you prepared.
5. If the tooth is broken or displaced – If the tooth has not come out completely but is broken or loose, avoid touching it with your tongue or fingers. You can apply something cold (ice wrapped in a cloth) to the lip or cheek over the area to limit swelling. If there is bleeding, have the person bite down on a clean gauze pad. Here again, seek emergency care quickly. Don’t throw away a broken piece of tooth: place it in milk as well, just like a whole tooth, because the dentist may sometimes be able to bond it back on.

Treatment by the dentist

The dentist will assess the situation:

• Broken tooth : If it is a small chip, the dentist can smooth the area or rebuild it with composite (tooth-colored resin) right away. If the piece is large and was recovered intact, it is sometimes possible to reattach the fragment to the tooth. If the fracture has reached the pulp (the nerve), root canal treatment will be needed before the tooth is rebuilt, possibly with a crown.
• Reimplanted or dislodged tooth : The dentist will stabilize the tooth by attaching it to the neighboring teeth with a splint (a tray or a wire bonded to the teeth) for a few weeks. Even if everything looks perfect, the tooth will need regular follow-up over several months to monitor its vitality. It is common for a reimplanted tooth to eventually need root canal treatment later on (as a precaution, some dentists perform it routinely after a few weeks).
• Tooth that cannot be reimplanted : If the tooth is lost or too badly damaged, the wound will be treated (with stitches in the gum if needed), and replacement options (dental implant, bridge) will be considered later, once healing is complete.
• Other injuries : If the lip or cheek is injured, the dentist or doctor can stitch it. If a jaw fracture is suspected, in-depth imaging will be done and care by an oral and maxillofacial specialist will be arranged.

In most cases, dental injuries in children and teenagers can be managed well if treated in time. Broken permanent teeth can be repaired to look almost like new, and reimplanted teeth have a good chance of healing. What matters most is to seek care without delay and to follow post-injury care instructions (avoid biting with the affected tooth for a few weeks, maintain excellent oral hygiene to prevent infection, etc.).

Conclusion: caution and a quick response, the winning combination

Electric scooters bring plenty of fun, but also risks for our teeth. By taking a few prevention measures (helmet, possibly a mouthguard, caution), you can greatly reduce the risk of ending up with a broken tooth on the pavement. However, if an accident does happen, knowing the rightdental emergency steps to take can save a tooth: secure the area, recover the tooth, keep it in a suitable medium (milk or saliva), and get to the dentist fast.

At Aura Geneva, we treat dental emergencies, including injuries from scooter accidents or sports. Our team will be there for you and provide the treatment needed to save your teeth as much as possible and relieve your pain. Stay safe on the road, and keep smiling (with your smile intact)!