How to Handle Dental Emergencies Like a Pro

Dental emergencies can be scary, but knowing how to handle them like a pro can help ease your mind. Any dental injury, no matter how minor it may seem, warrants an examination by a dentist as soon as possible. In this blog post, we will go over some of the most common dental emergencies and what you can do to minimize the damage until you can see a dentist. Stay calm and don’t panic – with these tips, you’ll be able to handle any dental emergency that comes your way!

What is a Dental Emergency in Children?

Children have different dental needs than adults, and their bodies are still developing. This means that dental injuries in children can be more serious and require extra attention. Common pediatric dental emergencies include knocked-out teeth, cracked or broken teeth, severe toothache or pain, swelling of the gums or face, objects stuck between teeth, and bleeding from the mouth.

What Should You Do if Your Child Experiences a Dental Emergency?

If your child experiences any of these symptoms, it is important to stay calm and act quickly. The first thing you should do is call your dentist to tell them about the emergency and arrange an appointment as soon as possible. After that, you can use a cold compress to reduce swelling and pain. If the tooth is knocked out, try to find it and gently rinse off any dirt or debris before placing it back into the socket. Do not force the tooth in – instead, wrap it in a clean piece of cloth or gauze and take it with you to your child’s dental appointment.

Common Dental Emergencies and What to Do

Knocked out a permanent tooth. 

Because time is critical for saving the tooth, report this injury right when it happens to a member of our dental team. Since neighboring teeth can sustain injuries, you want to make sure there is no damage to them. Because it is possible to re-implant a lost permanent tooth, the following steps are pivotal.

1. Find the lost tooth. Try not to touch the roots, only touch the crown of the tooth;
2. Carefully clean the tooth with water without scrubbing or scraping;
3. Gently reinsert the tooth to its original location or ask the child to keep the tooth in their mouth against their cheek while you travel to our Li’l Sunshine Smiles office–only attempt this with older children. Younger children run the risk of swallowing the tooth. With younger children, you can place the tooth in milk or saliva until you reach our office.
4. Keep the tooth moist while you are on the way to our office. Moisture is key for re-implantation success;
5. If it is after hours and you are unable to contact a member of our team do not wait. Take your child to the emergency room to save the tooth. The chances of re-implantation success are greatly reduced after one hour.

Toothache.  

Toothaches are one of the most common dental emergencies parents/patients face so knowing what to do will get you far. Tooth-related pain can vary from moderate to severe. Although erupting teeth will often cause toothaches, they do not require an office visit. Typically this kind of toothache responds well to over-the-counter pain relievers. However, toothaches related to broken teeth, tooth decay or tooth trauma will need an in-office evaluation.

1. Clean the tender area with warm water;
2. Do not apply heat to the tooth or the area around the tooth;
3. Check if any trapped food and remove it with floss, a proxy brush, or a toothbrush;
4. Apply an ice pack to hurt area to reduce swelling and pain;
5. Contact our office.

Knocked out a baby tooth.

Contact our office during business hours. Often, this isn’t a dangerous emergency and no treatment will be necessary, but call our office for a consultation.

Tooth displacement. 

A displaced tooth is one that has been hit with enough force to make it loose. So, a displaced tooth may be partly removed from its socket and should be treated with care. Primary teeth usually heal on their own or will just fall out in time without medical intervention, but permanent teeth need a little more help. Even if the displacement is slight, teeth need an exam because slightly displaced teeth are prone to infection.

Broken tooth.

Contact our office immediately if your child breaks a tooth. Dental emergencies, like a broken tooth, require your quick action to determine if you save the tooth. Quick action also protects your tooth from infection. What to do: 1) Rinse the mouth with water and apply a cold compress to help reduce swelling; 2) Find and save any broken tooth fragments and bring them with you to our office.

Root fracture. 

A root fracture occurs from direct trauma to the tooth. Root fractures are usually undetectable without a dental x-ray. Rule out a root fracture if any of your teeth have taken a significant impact. Failure to catch a root fracture can cause you to lose the tooth. Treatment will depend on the positioning of the fracture and how much pain the patient is in. The tooth will be monitored, treated, or extracted–as a worst case scenario. What to do: 1) Place a cold compress on the area of discomfort/injury; 2) Administer dentist-approved pain relief; and 3) Contact us for further instructions.

Dental concussion.

A tooth that has received a good hit, but has not been displaced or knocked out is called “concussed.” Dental concussion injuries are very common in toddlers who tend to fall more often/easily. Dental concussion can cause permanent or temporary tooth discoloration depending on the severity of the concussion. If you notice the tooth darkening in color it is usually an indication that the tooth is dying and that it may need root canal therapy. Most dental concussion injuries are not true dental emergencies and do not require emergency treatment, but should be reported to our office.

How Can You Avoid Dental Emergencies in Children?

The best way to avoid dental emergencies in children is to practice good oral hygiene and make sure they attend their regular check-ups with their dentist. This will allow the dentist to identify any potential problems early on, so that they can be dealt with before it leads to a dental emergency. Additionally, make sure your child is wearing a mouthguard during any sport or activity that could potentially lead to an injury.

Dental emergencies can be scary, but following these steps and remaining calm can help you handle them like a pro and minimize the damage until you can get to the dentist. Make sure to call Li’l Sunshine Smiles  Dentistry right away to ensure your child gets the care they need. Our team is here to help you with any dental emergency, big or small. Contact us today!