A pediatric dental emergency often takes place when you least expect it and can result in worry and anxiety for both you and your child. Fortunately, your trusted pediatric dentist can help relieve those worries by providing your child with excellent emergency care and treatment!
What is Considered a Dental Emergency?
As a parent, you may wonder what is considered a dental emergency. The answer is anything that causes your child distress, pain, or results in bleeding and damaged gums, oral tissues, or teeth. Emergency pediatric dentistry is focused on relieving pain, treating infections or abscesses, repairing or removing broken teeth, and addressing trauma to the gums, tongue, and other oral tissues shortly after the emergency arises. A good emergency dentist will be able to treat your child after regular business hours, on holidays, and on weekends if the need arises.
What are Some Common Pediatric Dental Emergencies?
There are many different ways your child can experience a dental emergency. Some of these are a result of a traumatic injury while others arise from an infection. Three of the most common types of pediatric dental emergencies include:
- Broken teeth – a broken tooth or teeth can occur when a child falls during play or is injured in an accident. Sometimes, the tooth is fractured but remains intact. Other times, the tooth may break into pieces. If this happens, find as many of the tooth fragments as possible and bring them to the emergency visit with you. A broken tooth may also cause damage to the gums and can result in bleeding. Use gauze or a clean cloth to help control bleeding until arriving at the dentist.
- Infected baby tooth or permanent tooth – this problem can arise if a tooth has been damaged but not treated, if a cavity leads to advanced tooth decay, or if the gums are injured or impacted. An infected tooth can lead to swelling, redness, and severe pain and requires emergency attention. Your pediatric dentist will clean the affected area and provide a prescription for antibiotics to ensure the infection is properly treated. A follow-up appointment to check on the healing process should be scheduled for shortly after the initial visit.
- Lost permanent tooth – if a permanent tooth is knocked out due to an injury, emergency treatment should be obtained immediately. If you have the tooth, put it in a cup containing milk to help protect the roots as it may still be possible to save it. If you can’t find the tooth, an implant may be required to replace it. Either way, this constitutes a dental emergency and requires immediate attention.
Tips for Handling a Pediatric Dental Emergency
Seeing your child injured or in pain can be a traumatic experience for you as a parent. However, your child will benefit most from you being calm, clear-headed, and focused on obtaining emergency treatment. Here are a few tips that can help you keep your cool in a pediatric dental emergency:
- Breathe before you react – though your first instinct may be to react with panic or fear, it is important that you remain calm in front of your child. This will help them to stay calm as well and can reduce their own fear. Take a deep breath before you react so you can respond in a focused and clear-headed way.
- Stop any bleeding – though sterile gauze may work best, you can use any clean cloth available to help slow and stop the bleeding. This will not only prevent further blood loss, but it will allow you to determine what part of their mouth has been injured as you prepare to take them to the dentist.
- Get help from another adult – if you struggle with blood or injuries, ask another adult to step in and help so you can continue to soothe your child while they are being cared for.
- Keep your dentist’s phone number nearby – knowing where to find your dentist’s phone number will help you act quickly in an emergency. Save it in your phone or hang it on the fridge so you’ll know exactly where to look.
If your child experiences a dental emergency, your pediatric dentist serving New Albany and the surrounding Columbus area will know the best treatment options. They will provide you and your child with compassionate care and help you understand how to help the healing process when you get home. A good emergency dentist for children will help you and your child confidently move forward following an emergency!
