EMERGENCY DENTAL SERVICES
If you face a dental emergency, call us immediately. We have an emergency number specifically for these instances. We are here to help you quickly when you or your child’s dental health is at risk.
Below are a few tips on what to do when dealing with a specific children dental emergency.
Bitten Tongue or Lip
For a bitten lip or tongue that has drawn blood, you want to avoid swelling as much as possible. To do this, clean the bite gently with water and use a cold compress (a cold, wet towel or washcloth pressed firmly against the area). Call us if you’re concerned with the severity of the bite.
Object Caught in Teeth
Use dental floss to remove any item caught between teeth. It is important not to use a metal, plastic, or anything sharp to remove a stuck object. If the item cannot be removed with dental floss, call us
Broken, Chipped or Fractured Tooth
For a chipped or broken a piece of tooth, rinse his/her mouth with warm water and then apply cold compress (mentioned above) to reduce the swelling. Remember to locate and save the tooth fragment that broke off when possible. Call us immediately.
Knocked Out Tooth
For a tooth that has been knocked out of your child’s mouth, the first thing to do is take the crown of the tooth (the part you can usually see) and rinse it with warm water without any soap. Place it in some milk. Permanent teeth can be saved usually within! At times the dentist may instruct you to re-implant the tooth yourself if possible only if it is a permanent tooth. If a primary tooth is knocked out, schedule a visit to your dentist as soon as possible to ensure the entire tooth was knocked out, but in general, primary teeth will not be re-implanted.
Loose Tooth
Reassure your child that this is part of growing up and encourage them to ‘wiggle’ the tooth
Toothache
First, inspect your child’s teeth to ensure that there is no object stuck in his/her teeth and wash the mouth out with warm water. If pain persists, use a cold compress (mentioned above) to help the child deal with the pain. Applying heat or a topical pain reliever may cause damage to the gums (gingiva), so please don’t apply directly to the area. Call your dentist to schedule an appointment.
Broken Jaw
Call our emergency number and go to the hospital immediately. In most cases, a broken jaw is a result of a blow to the head and head-related trauma can be extremely dangerous.
Avoiding Injury
Do all you can to childproof your house to avoid dental emergencies and emergencies in general. Use appropriate car seats and seat belts when driving. Have your child use mouth guards when he/she plays sports. We provide custom fitted mouth guards for children and adults.