The Dos and Donts of Dental Emergencies

It’s tooth-hurty. What now?

Uh-oh, something happened. Well, it just so happens that there’s a few things you can do at home to take the first steps in addressing a dental issue.

Toothaches
Does your child have a toothache? First thing first, give their face a glance to ensure there’s no swelling. If there is, apply a cold compress and call us immediately. If there’s no swelling but still a toothache, rinse the mouth with warm water, have them open wide, and give their mouth a look. Try flossing between the troubled teeth to make sure there’s no food that’s causing pressure. Still experiencing pain? Use your pain reliever of choice. And if the pain continues, please call us.  

Displaced Baby Tooth
The good thing about baby teeth, is they’re not your forever teeth. If your child accidentally knocks out one of their baby teeth, don’t panic. It’s usually not an emergency. Just give us a call, and call the tooth fairy, too.

Displaced Permanent Tooth
This is when things get tricky and timely. Since it’s a permanent tooth, you want your child to have it forever. Find the tooth and handle it by the crown, not the root. Rinse it with water or milk. Skip the soap. Inspect the tooth to ensure there’s no damage. Assuming there’s not, try to re-insert the tooth into the socket and have your child keep it in place by biting on gauze or cotton. And give us a call immediately. If you can’t put the tooth in place, bring it to our office in a cup with milk or saliva, or, if your child is old enough, have them store it inside their cheek. Time matters. Move quickly and carefully.

Chipped or Fractured Tooth
Whether it’s a small chip or a large break, you’ll want to give us a call after finding any fragments. Larger fractures, where the root or nerve is exposed, may require immediate action to save the tooth, prevent infection, and avoid extensive future treatments.

Mouth Traumas
If your child bumped their mouth and caused trauma to the tooth, you’ll have two options. If it’s a baby tooth, you may want to consider removal. If it’s a permanent tooth, please give us a call so we can possibly splint the tooth to keep it in place and in the mouth. If your child not only hurt their tooth, but maybe their jaw, you’ll want to keep the jaw from moving and visit the emergency room.

Tongue, Cheek, and Lip lacerations
Children bite their tongues, lips, and cheeks all the time. Usually it’s minor, but if it’s major enough to cause bleeding, clean the bite with water and place a cold compress firmly against the area of impact. The pressure should stop the bleeding, but if it doesn’t, please visit your local emergency room or urgent care.