When your child has a dental problem, you must stay calm in order to effectively scope the situation. If you panic, the child will panic as well, and this could cause more pain and discomfort. In this blog post, you’ll learn all about Lovett Dental Jersey Village’s pediatric dentistry services for a dental emergency and the steps you should take when each situation occurs.
The Most Common Pediatric Dental Emergencies
Toothaches
Many kids experience a toothache after they eat sugary snacks. To treat a sore tooth, rinse it thoroughly with a cup of warm water. Then ease the pain with over-the-counter medication or an ice pack.
In most cases, a toothache may not require emergency care. If the pain gets stronger and stronger and causes severe swelling, schedule an emergency dental appointment at Lovett Dental Jersey Village outside of normal office hours.
Bites and Cuts
A cut on your kid’s cheek, tongue, or lip that bleeds is an emergency. You can stop or slow down the bleeding by holding a cold pack or a washcloth against the cut. If the cut is severe, take your child to our general dentistry office because he or she may need additional treatment.
Broken Tooth
To save a broken tooth and prevent infection, you must go to a dentist’s office with your child immediately after the accident. To treat a broken tooth before the appointment, rinse away the blood with water. Then hold a bag of ice against the child’s mouth to stop swelling.
If you find fragments from the broken tooth on the ground, pick up the pieces and put them in a cup of milk. This strategy will preserve the fragments until you can make a dentist appointment.
Tooth Accidentally Knocked Out
This type of emergency happens when kids play contact sports. After a tooth is knocked out, carefully pick it up by the crown instead of the root. You won’t need to rinse the tooth unless there is debris on it.
If possible, try to put the tooth back in the socket. To accomplish this, the child must apply pressure on the tooth to keep it secured. If you’re not successful, soak the tooth in milk until it’s time for the dentist appointment.
Baby Tooth Accident
When a child’s baby tooth is knocked out, never try to put it back in the socket because you may encounter problems that could make the child experience pain and discomfort. A dentist should always treat a child after he or she loses a baby tooth. During the appointment, the dentist will check the surrounding teeth for injuries before reattaching the missing tooth.
Other Pediatric Dental Emergencies
Some other pediatric dental emergencies that may require emergency dental services for your child include:
- Bleeding Gums: If your child’s gums bleed constantly after a baby tooth falls out, try to stop the bleeding using gauze. Your child should bite the gauze for about fifteen minutes. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, emergency dental services will be needed.
- Dislocated Jaw: Intense swelling will build up after a jaw bone is lodged out of place. A cold compress can treat the swelling. However, you must take your kid to an emergency dentist’s office to treat the injury.
- Mouth Sores: Mouth sores are easy to treat as you can get rid of them with over-the-counter medication. You’ll only need to seek emergency care for a canker or cold sore if it doesn’t heal following multiple treatments.
- Object Lodged in Teeth: Typically, you can remove something that’s stuck between a child’s teeth with dental floss. If you’re unable to remove the object, a dentist can help.
- Loose Tooth: If your child has a loose tooth, an emergency extraction is worth considering. To keep the child safe, move the tooth to determine whether or not it’s about to fall out. If the tooth is very loose, a dentist must remove it.
Book an Appointment for Your Child Lovett Dental Jersey Village
Lovett Dental in Jersey Village offers great services for an entire family. If you need treatment for a child, contact us at 281-890-5002 today.