Emergency Pediatric Dentist

Dental emergencies can occur in children and adults at any time, so it's important to understand what types of tooth and gum injuries are considered emergencies. Some common dental emergencies include the following:

• Cracked, severely chipped tooth
• Broken or knocked-out teeth
• Severe toothaches
• Gum Injuries
• Lost fillings and crowns
• Objects caught in teeth

These are just a few of the many possibilities that could require the care of an emergency dentist for kids. If any of these issues arise, it is imperative that you get your child in to see an emergency pediatric dentist to prevent infections or other severe effects that can occur if left untreated.

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine what types of dental injuries and occurrences can wait, and when you need to contact children’s emergency dentist. Three things that are typically not considered a dental emergency are small chips in teeth and minor toothaches, and small cuts in the gum. Sometimes cuts on the lip and gum bleed quite a bit initially and it can seem like a bigger problem than it is. Give it a few minutes and reassess.

If your child is in pain from a tooth or gum injury, there are a few things that you can do to ease some of their pain. An excellent first line of pain treatment is by using an ice pack for any swelling on your child's cheeks or lips. Wrap a cold gel-based pack in a towel, and gently place it on the affected area for a short amount of time. This can reduce swelling and also provide mild numbing to help with the pain. If the injury is in the mouth, a piece of ice or popsicle can do wonders for pain! Keep in mind that a chipped tooth can be sensitive to cold so you might want to skip the ice for this situation.

Another helpful pain treatment is giving your child over-the-counter pain medication ibuprofen (like Motrin or Advil). Be sure to follow the dosage recommendations on the package, or speak with a doctor or dentist about how much to give your child.

There are a few simple interventions that parents can take to prevent a pediatric dental emergency. One of the easiest is providing a mouth guard for your children to use during high-contact sports. Another important preventative measure is to avoid chewing on hard foods or ice cubes. Chewing on things like hard candies, unpopped popcorn kernels, and cherry pits can cause cracks or chips in teeth, leading to severe pain and gum injuries. Many injuries, though, are outside of the scope of anything a parent can prevent. Tripping and falling are not considered preventable but you can minimize the dangerous things to fall on in your home. Common objects that cause serious dental injuries are coffee tables, steps, and fireplace hearths. Try to arrange your furniture or provide cushions where possible. We joke at our office that the only true way to prevent injuries is bubble wrapping your child! Since this is not a legal option, you might want to just be prepared for when it happens.