A dental emergency can be really scary, even more so when it involves our little ones. Here, we tackle the most common dental emergencies in children and give you advice when you find yourself in such situations.
As parents, acting quickly and knowing just what to do will improve your chances of saving your child’s tooth and getting them back to their full oral health.
What should you do if your baby’s milk tooth is knocked out?
Call your pediatric dentist right away. Do not put back or replant your child’s milk tooth because of the potential damage to the developing permanent tooth underneath the gums.
What should you do if your child’s permanent tooth is knocked out?
Locate the tooth and handle it carefully. Pick it up by the crown (the chewing surface) and do not touch the root of the tooth.
Use water to gently rinse off any dirt. Do not scrub or clean the tooth with soap or any chemicals. Do not wrap the tooth in tissue or cloth.
Use water to gently rinse off any dirt. Do not scrub or clean the tooth with soap or any chemicals. Do not wrap the tooth in tissue or cloth.
Call your child’s dentist immediately. A quick response will give you a better chance of saving your child’s permanent tooth.
What should you do if your child’s tooth is chipped or fractured?
Contact your pediatric dentist. Rinse your child’s mouth with water. If there is swelling or if the lips are injured, apply cold compresses. If you can locate the broken tooth fragment, bring it with you to the dentist.
What should you do if your child has a toothache?
Toothache can be caused by tooth decay, infection, trauma, loose fillings or emerging teeth. If your child complains of a tooth decay, call your pediatric dentist right away. It is often difficult to relieve toothaches without visiting a dentist.
While waiting for your appointment, rinse your child’s mouth with water and apply cold compress to relieve the pain. Do not put aspirin on your child’s sore tooth. Over-the-counter children’s pain medications (dosed according to your child’s age and weight) may help ease the pain.
Do not put aspirin on your child’s sore tooth. Over-the-counter children’s pain medications (dosed according to your child’s age and weight) may help ease the pain.
See Also
How do dentists prevent the spread of infection in their practice?
How to prevent dental emergencies at home?
Dental accidents can happen but there are ways to prevent them.
- Do not let your child run with objects like pencils, glass or toothbrushes in their mouths.
- Block off dangerous areas to protect young children from falls that can damage their teeth.
- When playing sports, make sure your child wears his or her mouthguards.
- Educate your child to never use their teeth as tools to open or cut things.
- Avoid giving your children hard candies or snacks that can crack the tooth.
- Good oral hygiene is very important in preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Like adults, children should floss once a day and brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste. Parents should supervise their child’s brushing until about age 7 or 8. Make sure to floss their teeth at least once a day.
- Regular checkups are important to ensure your child’s teeth and gums are healthy and to avoid future dental problems.
Emergency dental treatment at the Dental Studio
We are open and we are ready to treat our patients’ emergency and urgent dental needs. We also have an on-call team to care for our patients outside of our clinic hours.
Our Specialist Pediatric Dentist is always available to attend to our young patient’s needs. To book your urgent dental appointment, please call us at 04 395 5095.
References:
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
- American Dental Association
- American Association of Endodontists
