Emergencies

Help, my child’s ______________________. 


You’d be surprised by how kids will help you complete that sentence. At the same time, there are lots of emergencies we see regularly like toothaches, bit tongues or lips, knocked out teeth (both permanent and baby), and damaged teeth. Learn about what you can do at home, and how we may be able to help you.

Toothaches: Clean the tooth gently and have your child rinse with warm water. Use floss to dislodge any food that may be impacted. Apply ice if the face is swollen, and if the pain doesn’t go away, call us.

Bitten or Cut Tongue, Lip or Cheek: Apply ice to help control the swelling and apply pressure to help control the bleeding. If you’re having trouble controlling the bleeding, call us or go to the emergency room.

Knocked Out Permanent Tooth: Find it and hold it by the crown, not the root. Rinse it with water only. Never use soap and refrain from handling the tooth unless absolutely necessary. If you can’t re-insert the tooth, and are planning to come see us – or another dentist – for re-placement transport it in milk. No matter what, time is critical. Get to a dentist quickly and safely.

Knocked Out Baby Tooth: This is generally not something that needs more than an evaluation to make sure that the permanent teeth aren’t damaged and that there is no other injury to the bone or face. We do like to put word out with the tooth fairy, though.

Damaged Permanent Tooth (Chip or Fracture): Call us immediately. The faster we can act, the more likely we’ll be able to save the tooth, prevent infection, and reduce the scope of treatment. Rinse the mouth with water, and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. If possible, find all the fragments of tooth you can and bring them to the dentist.

Chipped or Fractured Baby Tooth: Call us as soon as the injury happens. Because it’s a baby tooth, treatment options may be limited though we may require additional visits to re-evaluate for signs of infection.

Possible Broken or Fractured Jaw: Keep your child from moving his or her jaw. Then take your child to the nearest hospital or emergency room.