When you’re a parent, you become well-acquainted with the phrase, “Accidents happen.” For children, sometimes these accidents can result in a chipped or broken tooth, which requires immediate care. Thankfully, all you need to do to get what they need is call Enchanted Forest Pediatric Dentistry. Whether they are dealing with a toothache or knocked-out tooth, we’ll work to see them as soon as possible so they can enjoy complete relief without delay.
Dental emergencies tend to fall into two broad categories: long-term problems and sudden problems. An example of a long-term problem is a cavity that has taken months to develop causing a toothache, while a sudden problem is an accidental fall resulting in a knocked-out tooth. Regardless of the situation, all you need to do is call our practice, explain what’s going on, and we’ll let you know what to do next. Before you reach our office, here are a few ways you can reduce your child’s pain and prevent further damage.
Start by having your child floss and rinse around the tooth to dislodge anything that might be stuck. If the pain continues, it’s OK for them to take an OTC medication.
Try to find all the pieces of the tooth that you can, give them a gentle rinse, and place them in a safe container to bring to our office. Use light pressure and some gauze or a clean rag to stop any bleeding, and for swelling, gently apply a cold compress to your child’s face.
While a knocked-out baby tooth might not seem like a big deal, it’s still wise to bring your child to see us relatively soon. This will allow us to determine if any of the surrounding teeth are damaged. We may also recommend giving them a space maintainer so the teeth on either side of the gap don’t shift out of place.
We can save the tooth and put it back into place, but you must bring your child to our office within an hour or so of the incident. In the meantime, have them hold the tooth under their tongue, between their gums and cheek, or put it in a container with milk or saltwater. The tooth needs to remain wet in order to stay alive!
Try to find the filling, rinse it off, and place it back onto your child’s tooth if possible, using a bit of toothpaste to secure it if necessary. This is only a temporary fix, and to get a full repair, you should bring your child to see us fairly soon, otherwise, the tooth could develop decay or damage.
Try to stop the bleeding by using gauze or a rag and some light pressure. If the bleeding continues for more than 10 minutes despite doing this, bring your child to the closest emergency room. Otherwise, we can see them and treat any damage to their oral tissues.
You and your child would likely prefer to avoid dental emergencies completely, which thankfully, can be done by following a few simple guidelines:
The cost of your child’s emergency care will vary based on their injury and the type of procedure they need. We’ll be sure to go over all of their options before applying treatment. We want to make sure that their care is affordable, which is why we’re happy to discuss your insurance benefits, financing, and our in-house savings plan to make the cost easier.