Dental emergencies may happen anywhere at any time, especially with active children running around! One moment is filled with fun when the next is filled with tears, so it’s important to know how to handle a dental emergency and what to do to help your kids. Learn more about what to do if your kid is having an emergency below:
Treating a Toothache
If you find your child is suffering from a toothache, help identify the area first. Clean around the sore tooth, use warm salt water to clean the area (you can dip a qtip in the salt water and apply it to area if your child is too young to rinse) and remove any food or bacteria that’s trapped between their teeth. Be sure not to put any aspirin directly onto the aching tooth or gum. If appropriate, use temporary pain relief medicine like ibuprofen or Tylenol. If their face is swelling, apply a cold compress to the area. When swelling is present, or if the pain continues for more than a day, we recommend contacting us to schedule an appointment. Taking a picture of the affected area and sending it to us can also be very helpful.
Addressing a Cracked Tooth
A cracked tooth is serious business! Without caring for it your child could develop an infection rather quickly. Be sure to rinse their mouth out with water to properly clean the area. Schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible. Use a cold compress if they’re experiencing any swelling as well.
A Permanent Tooth is Knocked Out
Ensure your child doesn’t have a serious injury anywhere else, first and foremost! After that assessment, see if the tooth that’s been knocked out is still in its same, stable structure. If so, keep it moist at all times: if the child can hold it in their mouth, that is the best. If not, a cup with some of their own saliva is a second best. Milk is a good last resort and definitely don’t use treated tap water. Above all, contact us immediately. When a permanent tooth is knocked out it must be put back within a matter of hours.
A baby tooth is knocked out
We don't replace baby teeth that get knocked out but we do recommend we see your child to make sure the traumatized area is ok. We also need to ensure the entire tooth came out since it can be hard to tell by looking at the tooth alone. Not sure if the tooth knocked out is a baby tooth or an adult tooth? Snap a photo with your phone and text it to us and we can help determine what needs to happen next.
We also know know emergencies sometimes occur on the weekends or at night. If so you can call our after hours emergency line and we'll determine the correct course of action.
Not sure what is going on or if it is a real emergency? You can also snap a photo of your kid's mouth and text it to us for our doctors to review and then determine the appropriate course of action.
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