Dental Emergency
Here at Aurora Kids Dentistry we understand what it’s like when your child is in a dental emergency.
From skateboarding accidents, baseball to the face, swollen faces due to infections, and the list goes on.
A dental emergency can be extremely frightening, but staying calm and acting fast can be the difference-maker, this could save a happy smile.
After any injury, if your child doesn’t feel well, call your pediatrician or take it to the nearest medical emergency clinic.
Any injury to the mouth (particularly those which involve blood) can be alarming, please make sure the tetanus vaccination is up to date and remember, if you stay calm your child will too.
Below you will find a list of the most common reason for a dental emergency.
Toothache
A Toothache can be caused by a variety of factors, including cracked or fractured teeth, tooth decay, or dental trauma
What can you do?
- Please stay calm.
- Assess the area for debris, erupting tooth, a “pimple” one the gum.
- If a piece of food is stuck in your child’s gums or between their teeth, see whether you can remove it safely by yourself.
- If there is swelling, place a cold compress on the side of the face where the swelling is.
- Call our office to schedule an appointment with our pediatric dentist.
Tooth avulsion (Knocked-out tooth)
An avulsed tooth is a very serious dental emergency.
If your child knocks out one of their teeth it’s important to seek dental care immediately.
If you can get to a dentist as soon as possible, there is a very good chance that your child’s tooth can be saved.
What can you do?
- Please stay calm.
- If the tooth has visible debris or fell on the floor hold the tooth by the crown and gently run it under water.
- If possible, re-insert it into your child’s mouth.
- If this is not possible, keep the tooth stored in something wet like milk or in your (the parents) mouth.
- Make sure that when you handle the tooth, you hold it by the crown, not the root.
- Even if the lost tooth is a baby tooth, you’ll still need to visit our emergency pediatric dentist to assess the damages.
Luxation (displaced tooth)
When a tooth is displaced within the socket, driven further into the mouth or pushed out of the mouth, it’s referred to as a luxation.
It’s always worth having the injury checked out by our emergency pediatric dentist.
What can you do?
- Please stay calm.
- Assess the area.
- Apply an ice pack to the area of the mouth which hurts.
- If your child is experiencing a serious amount of pain, you can give them an over-the-counter pain medication.
- Call our office right away and schedule an appointment with our pediatric dentist.
Concussion
Teeth can be concussed after any form of trauma, usually from a fall or a sporting injury.
Scheduling an appointment with our pediatric dentist is always a good idea after any injury to the head.
What can you do?
- Please stay calm.
- If applicable, apply an ice pack to the area that is swollen.
- Specifically, mention to your dentist that they may have a head injury; this may require an emergency room visit.
Broken tooth
From chips and fractures to full-blown cracks, a broken tooth can be one of the scariest pediatric dental emergencies to deal with.
What can you do?
- Please stay calm.
- If the tooth has been chipped, try to find the broken piece and, keep the tooth stored in something wet like milk or in your (the parents) mouth.
- Rinse the area with warm water to keep it clean.
- If there is swelling, apply a cold compress.
- Call our office right away and schedule an appointment with our pediatric dentist.
