Life is full of surprises including dental emergencies. Don’t panic—we’re here to help.
If your child faces a dental emergency, give us a call immediately. If you need urgent treatment after hours, you can call our emergency number. We are always available and here to assist when your child’s dental health is at risk. Below are tips on dealing with urgent dental situations.
If your child is complaining of pain, first have them point to the exact area that is bothering them. Common causes of pain that are not emergent are impacted popcorn kernels, erupting permanent molars, or aphthous ulcers. Once these are ruled out, call the office to schedule an appointment for your child to be evaluated by our team
- Bitten Lip or Tongue
- Object Caught in Teeth
- Broken, Chipped or Fractured Teeth
- Knocked-Out Tooth
- Loose Tooth
- Toothache
- Broken Jaw
If your child has a bitten lip or tongue severe enough to cause bleeding, clean the bite gently with water and use a cold compress (a cold, wet towel or washcloth pressed firmly against the area) to reduce or avoid swelling. Give us a call to help determine how serious the bite is.
If your child has something caught between his or her teeth, use dental floss to gently remove it. Never use a metal, plastic, or sharp tool to remove a stuck object. If you are unable to remove the item with dental floss, give us a call.
If your child has chipped or broken a piece off of a tooth, rinse his or her mouth with warm water, then use a cold compress to reduce swelling. Try to locate and save the tooth fragment that broke off. Call us immediately.
If your child’s tooth has been knocked out, find the tooth and place the tooth in a clean container with cold milk. If you do not have cold milk you can use the patient’s saliva (have him/her spit into a cup enough to cover the tooth) or clean water. Take care to only touch the crown of the tooth (the part you can see when it’s in place). Call us immediately and/or head to the emergency room. The sooner an adult tooth is returned into its original position and splinted, the greater the chance of saving the tooth!
If your child has a very loose tooth, it should be removed to avoid being swallowed or inhaled. Twisting the tooth can help remove it atraumatically.
If your child complains of a toothache, rinse his or her mouth with water and inspect the teeth to be sure there is nothing caught between them. If pain continues, do not apply heat or any kind of aspirin or topical pain reliever directly to the affected area, as this can cause damage to the gums. Children’s pain relievers may be taken orally. Schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If you notice facial swelling, call us immediately and/or head to the local emergency room.
If you know or suspect your child has sustained a broken jaw, use a cold compress to reduce swelling. Call our emergency number and/or head to the emergency room immediately. In many cases, a broken jaw is the result of a blow to the head. Severe blows to the head can be dangerous and even life-threatening. A suspected broken jaw will need to be evaluated by an oral surgeon.