Dental Emergencies
Instructions What To Do:
1. Stay calm – Injuries to the mouth, face and teeth happen frequently in children. Remaining calm and taking prompt action will help minimize the damaging effects of the injury and lessen your child’s discomfort.
2. Assess the HEAD – Did your child’s injury involve hitting their head, causing them to lose consciousness even for a brief moment? If this is the case, your child should see a physician immediately. Worry about the mouth and teeth later.
3. Stop Bleeding – Try to stop any bleeding with a clean washcloth or gauze. As you do this, check for broken teeth and/or missing teeth. If there are missing teeth, look for them.
Determine the type of Emergency
⚠ Broken Tooth
Gently clean or rinse dirt from the area around the break. Place a cold compress on the face in the area of the broken took to minimize lip or facial swelling. If the fracture is more than one-half of the tooth, call the office immediately.
⚠ Chipped Tooth
If you find the fragment, bring it with you to the office. A fragment can occasionally be bonded back onto the tooth. Even without the broken piece, we can often restore the tooth to its natural appearance in less than one hour.
⚠ Toothache
Gently clean the area around the tooth. Rinse the mouth with warm salt water and use dental floss to remove any trapped food between the teeth. DO NOT place aspirin on the gums or tooth. This will cause a burn to the gum tissues. If there is swelling, apply cold to the outside of the face. Give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and call our office during normal hours. Finally, children who complain of a toothache often have food lodged between their teeth. Gently flossing the area of discomfort may provide immediate relief. If the face is swollen because of a tooth infection, it could be a life-threatening situation and your child needs to go to a hospital emergency room immediately. Place a cold compress on the face until you can see a doctor.
⚠ Baby tooth knocked out
Baby teeth are not re-implanted because that it damage the growing permanent tooth. Call the tooth fairy and tell her she has a visit to make. Often a baby tooth becomes dark when it is bumped. The discoloration may mean that the impact has broken a blood vessel at the tip of the tooth’s root. Baby teeth often survive blows that would kill a permanent tooth. Take your to our office during regular hours to have the tooth examined.
⚠ Bleeding after baby tooth falls out
Fold a gauze pad or clean washcloth over the bleeding area. Keep it in place for 15 minutes, then repeat as necessary.
⚠ Orthodontic Emergency
If there is a loose bracket that is irritating the lips or gums, attempt to remove the bracket with a tweezers and place it in an envelope.If there is a loose wire sticking into he cheek, see if you can place it into the tube in the back of mouth. If you can’t or the problem occurs when the office is not open, cut the end of the wire with a cuticle nipper.
Most Common Causes of Injury to Teeth
Bathtubs, tile floors, coffee tables, stairs, swimming pools, play structures, bicycle riding, trampoline, basketball, baseball, playing in construction zones and scooters.
You can help your child avoid dental emergencies. Child-proof your house to avoid falls. Don’t let your child chew on ice, popcorn kernels, or other hard foods. Always use car seats for young children and require seatbelts for older children. And if your child plays contact sports, ask us about creating a custom-fitted mouth guard for your child. Finally, prevent toothaches with regular brushing, flossing, and visits to our office.
Reach Us After Hours
In case of an emergency, first call our office 727-321-6911 for after hours information. Then, if the recorded message does not take care of your concerns, please call 727-548-9555 or 727-410-2276.
