Immediate, Compassionate Care When Your Child Needs It Most
Dental emergencies in children can arise for a number of reasons. Recognizing the fact that children have active lifestyles, means there is always a chance an accident involving a hit or blow to the mouth or teeth can occur. These traumatic injuries can happen at home, in the playground or on the playing field. Common injuries to the teeth and oral cavity seen in a pediatric dental office include everything from soft tissue lacerations of the lips, cheeks or tongue to chipped, fractured, dislodged or “knocked out” teeth. Equally frequent reasons for children to require urgent dental care are painful toothaches, dental infections, and mouth ulcerations. Whatever the dental emergency may be, prompt and effective care is required to alleviate a child’s discomfort and to prevent more serious consequences to their oral health and overall well-being.
Pediatric dentists are trained in all facets of dental care for children and are well equipped to handle a wide range of dental emergencies. They provide skilled and compassionate care, helping children to feel comfortable and safe while restoring their oral health and function.
We provide urgent care for:
Restoring the tooth’s shape and function.
Immediate care for the best chance of saving the tooth.
Diagnosing and treating the cause of pain, often an infection or deep cavity.
Treating cuts, tears, or lacerations to the lips, cheeks, or tongue.
Addressing teeth that have been moved out of position due to trauma.
How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies
Benefit one
Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth
Time is critical! Retrieve the tooth, handling it only by the crown (not the root). Gently rinse it and try to reinsert it into the socket. If that is not possible, place it in a cup of milk or an emergency tooth preservation kit. Call us immediately.
Benefit Two
Severe Toothache
Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water. Gently floss to remove any lodged food. Do NOT put aspirin on the gums or tooth. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek if swelling is present. Call us immediately.
Benefit Three
Chipped or Broken Tooth
Rinse the mouth with water. If possible, save the broken piece of the tooth. Apply a cold compress to the face to reduce swelling. Call us as soon as possible.
FAQs
Any situation involving uncontrolled bleeding, severe pain, loss of consciousness, or a knocked-out permanent tooth is an emergency that requires immediate attention. Swelling around the face or mouth also requires urgent care.
Do not try to reinsert a knocked-out baby tooth, as this can damage the underlying permanent tooth. Clean the area gently and call us immediately to assess any trauma to the gum or surrounding teeth.
Yes. We understand the urgency and discomfort of dental emergencies, and we always do our best to accommodate urgent and same-day appointments to alleviate your child’s pain and treat the injury.
For severe trauma involving potential fractures, excessive bleeding, or head injuries, go to the ER first. For purely dental issues (like a knocked-out tooth or severe toothache), a pediatric dentist is best equipped to save the tooth and restore dental function.