Is your child experiencing a dental emergency? Are you panicking a bit? Well, there is no need to worry. We are happy to help! For now, stay calm and do the following things:
- Call our office as soon as you can. Tell us what is going on and find a way to bring your child to us immediately.
- If you cannot get a hold of our office or dentist, take your child to the nearest hospital or Urgent Care.
- Comfort your child and try to calm them down as much as you can. If you are not sure what to do, try singing to your child, playing calming music, comforting your child with blankets and pillows, or telling your child stories. If you do these things, it will keep your child’s mind off of the current situation.
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Until you see the dentist or doctor, you can help the situation by doing
the following things:
- For a toothache: Try rinsing your child’s mouth with warm water. Then, floss between each tooth and free any substances that might be causing the pain. If this does not improve the situation, the tooth might have a cavity, and it needs to be treated as soon as possible. Until your child meets with the dentist, you can relieve the pain with over-the-counter pain medication. Please do not put the medication directly on the gums around the tooth. If you do, there is a possibility that the gums can get burned and damaged.
- For a bitten or cut lip, tongue, or cheek: Clean the bleeding in the mouth and surrounding area with a warm and wet wash cloth. Then, try to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the injured area. If the bleeding does not stop, take your child to the nearest hospital.
- For a broken tooth: Try and save as many pieces of the tooth as possible. Next, have your child rinse their mouth with warm water to clean the blood and debris from the oral cavity. Then, to relieve pain and reduce bleeding, give your child an over-the-counter pain medication and ice the injured area with a cold compress.
- For a knocked-out permanent tooth: Retrieve the tooth and hold it by the crown, which is the portion of the tooth that was visible when the tooth was still in place. Then, rinse the tooth with warm water but do not scrub it. Next, put the tooth in a cup of milk or in a glass of water with a pinch of table salt. It is important to see a dental or medical professional within an hour of the tooth getting knocked out of the mouth. If your child has knocked out a baby tooth, you do not need to worry. However, if you have questions or concerns, you can always call our office and talk to a member of our team.
For more help, call our office now. We are happy to give you the instructions you need to make the best out of this situation!