What Should You Do When a Dental Emergency Occurs to Your Child?

You are sitting with other parents while the kids are in the middle of playing in a Little League game. All of a sudden, everyone is looking at you and you can hear the unmistakable sound of your young baseball player sobbing and holding his mouth in obvious pain. He’s been hit in his front teeth on a misplayed ground ball, and a brand new permanent tooth has been knocked out.

While you try to calm your wet-faced, bloody son, one of the parents suggests that you to put the tooth in a glass of cow’s milk. What kind of suggestion is that? You wonder if that has to be an old wives tale, but it turns out not to be. One thing you know for sure is that you need to get him to an emergency dentist as soon as soon as you can.

Dental emergencies can happen at any time. Knowing what to do when the moment arrives can mean the difference between your child keeping or losing his tooth.

 

A Few Common Dental Emergencies and How to Handle Them

Make an effort to have a dentist saved on your cell phone. Severe pain or broken teeth can happen at any moment and can bring even the most stubborn people to the dental office.

 

Knocked Out Tooth

Kids rough house, teenagers play sports, and adults take a “you only live once” approach to learning how to skateboarding. At the moment when a tooth does get knocked out, pick it up by the crown (not the root), gently rinse with water, and try to gently push it back into the socket. Should this not be possible, place it in a glass of milk and make contact with your dentist (or one that you can get a more immediate appointment.)

 

Toothache

A toothache can totally immobilize you. Possible causes can be: tooth decay, infection, tooth eruption, an abnormal bite, or trauma to the tooth. Make an appointment with a dentist and rinse your mouth with warm salt water, take an ibuprofen or acetaminophen, apply an over-the-counter antiseptic and a cold compress to the outside cheek next to where  you believe the afflicted area is located to relieve pain or swelling.

 

Crown or Filling Falling Out

Should your crown falls out, gently wipe the crown or filling clean, proceed to wrap it in a clean cloth, , and schedule an appointment with your dental center.

 

Chipped or fractured tooth

Cracked or chipped teeth don’t always hurt, but the nerves can get damaged if you wait t0o long to get it taken care of. Even if it’s not a big bother, it’s still a good idea to make an appointment with a dental professional to get it taken care of.

 

Concussed Tooth

Should your little boy have an incident where he bangs his tooth on a girl’s head and it doesn’t fall out, he still might experience a discolored tooth. Other than having unfortunate year-of-the-dark-tooth school photograph, it’s not exactly a serious dental emergency, but may still be worth getting it examined.

 

How to Avoid Dental Emergencies:

 

  • Don’t use your teeth for anything other than eating or chew very hard foods (such as lollipops)
  • Wear a mouth guard when playing in athletic games
  • Schedule regular teeth cleanings & checkups
  • Brush and floss your teeth daily

Should you have a need of an emergency dentist, contact Easton Dental Center immediately for an appointment ASAP.