When your child has a pediatric dental emergency, you want to get them relief quickly and efficiently, and part of that is knowing what counts as a dental emergency and what to do when it happens. With fast, immediate response and the proper first aid treatment, you can prevent long-term damage and restore your child’s dental health. Smile Solutions, is a phone call away. Certain Pediatric emergencies need to be taken Caren of within an hour for a successful outcome.
Pediatric Dental Emergencies
Here are common pediatric dental emergencies and tips on dealing with urgent dental situations.
- Chipped or broken tooth: Even a minor crack could seriously damage your tooth and lead to an infected tooth, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. In this case, try to locate and collect any teeth fragments and preserve them in a cup of milk or water until our emergency dentist can see you. Younger patients tend to have a very unique translucency around the edges of the teeth. We are fortunate to have received proper training to restore teeth with Cosmedent products which can mimic this type of translucency. At times, we will take a quick impression, wax up the tooth and create a stent with the proper size, length and width. Then we will start using a layering technique that has been taught to us by some of the best esthetic dentists internationally and within the United States. We take pride restoring teeth as naturally as possible.
- Toothache: Toothaches that are severe, sudden, and persisting qualify as dental emergencies. As soon as your child complains of a toothache, rinse their mouth thoroughly to clean it out and then examine their mouth for food and use dental floss to dislodge any that you find gently. If this isn’t the reason for the tooth pain, your child could be suffering from a cavity, abscess, or another issue. Contact our office immediately for emergency care. To help alleviate pain before you get to the dentist’s office, have them rinse with warm saltwater.
- Knocked-out tooth: Knocked-out teeth are often the result of a traumatic injury or severe blow to your child’s mouth and require immediate attention. If your child’s permanent teeth get knocked out, handle it only by the crown to avoid damaging the tooth root. Rinse it off in lukewarm water, put it back into the socket or a glass of milk, and bring it to the dental appointment. The sooner you visit the dentist, the greater chance the tooth can be saved. For knocked-out baby teeth, you don’t have to bring the tooth with you to the emergency appointment. We’ll examine your child to ensure there’s no damage to the gums. We often use a space maintainer for young children to keep the remaining teeth from shifting into the open space, but with older children, we may opt to leave it as is.
- Other dental injuries: For cheek, lip, or tongue bites or cuts, apply pressure with a clean cloth to the affected area to reduce bleeding. Give us a call to help determine if it is a true dental emergency.
How to Help Avoid Pediatric Dental Emergencies
The best way to minimize dental emergencies is through prevention. Ensure your child maintains good oral hygiene – brushing twice a day and flossing at least once daily. Ensure they wear a custom-fitted mouthguard for sports to prevent any sports-related dental emergencies.
Emergency Dentists in Waterville and Winthrop ME
At Smile Solutions of Maine, we understand that pediatric dental emergencies can be overwhelming. That’s why we are here for your family in case of an emergency and are always equipped to help children of all ages as quickly as possible. If your child is suffering from a pediatric dental emergency, don’t hesitate to contact us immediately, and we will get you in to see the dentist as soon as possible.