As you may have already discovered for yourself, dental emergencies can crop up suddenly, anywhere and anytime. Protecting your child’s smile is important, and that means knowing what to do when an accident happens.
-If your child knocks out a permanent tooth, you want to keep it moist and call our dental office right away. You can keep the tooth in milk, their saliva or a tooth preservation product with the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance on the label. Handle the tooth only by the crown, never the roots, and do so gently. If you can come in right away the knocked-out tooth can often be reinserted into the tooth socket within an hour of it being knocked out. Tip: consider adding a tooth preservation container to your emergency kit.
-If your child cracks a tooth, help them rinse their mouth with warm water. If they experience swelling, you want to have them hold a cold compress to the face to lessen the swelling and then contact our team.
-If your child bites their lip or tongue and it doesn’t stop bleeding, seek help as soon as possible. Call our office or visit the emergency room.
-Toothaches are common dental emergencies. First, you want to have your child rinse thoroughly with warm water. If there is food stuck between teeth causing the pain, gently remove the particles using dental floss. Never put aspirin on their tooth or gums as it can harm the tissue. If the pain continues, please call our office as this may have a cavity.
-If your child has an abscessed tooth, they should be seen right away. This is an extremely painful infection in the tooth root. You may notice they have swollen gums, fever and a bad taste in the mouth. They need to be treated so that the infection does not spread.
-If your child has a lost or loose filling, they will need to be seen and the filling tended to.
-If your child has metal braces and experiences discomfort, call our office to see if they need to be looked at.
As you can see, emergencies can come when we least expect it. You can help your child maintain a healthy smile by ensuring they practice good daily oral hygiene and wear mouth guards when participating in contact sports. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s oral health, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Sugarbug Dental team. We are here to help!