What Are The Common Dental Emergencies In Children?

As parents to little ones, we are responsible for every aspect of their well-being. Decisions taken at this stage in life can make or mar an entire lifetime. This is why we must recognize dental emergencies and act accordingly. In this article, we will acquaint ourselves with the different scenarios that a child would need to see an emergency pediatric dentist.

A dental emergency is any dental issue that requires immediate attention and emergency dental care. In these situations, it is a race against time as the seconds, minutes, or hours matter in the outcome. One thing that you should know is that dental emergencies are quite common. Incidence peaks in toddlers (18-40 months) and adolescents. The former has just started to explore the world while the latter tend to get involved in sports activities at that stage. Getting an emergency dentist appointment for your kid is no one’s idea of a dream day, but it is the right thing to do next when you have a dental emergency. What are these emergencies?

Toothache

This is a common one. Impacted food can cause pain in young ones. When this happens, you can dislodge the food particle with a toothbrush, floss, or a clean hand. Telling your child to swish warm water around their mouth also works. If the pain persists, then you need to see the dentist. Other causes include tooth decay, trauma, and wisdom teeth eruption. Some situations may require emergency tooth extraction. At an emergency dentist appointment, you will learn what you need to know.

At home, you can apply a cold compress to help with swelling if any.

Knocked-out Teeth

If your child gets their teeth knocked out completely, do not hesitate to reach out to an emergency pediatric dentist immediately. If the tooth is still baby teeth, dentists do not attempt re-implantation. This is because the process can cause damage to the tooth bud and damage the emerging permanent tooth. However, a permanent tooth that is knocked off always needs to be re-implanted provided there is no irreversible damage. Time is of the essence here as the teeth need to be re-implanted within an hour for the best result.

At home, you need to recover the tooth that was knocked off. Do not touch the roots, pick it up by the crown only. Rinse the tooth in running water but do not scrub or scrape. If your child is old enough, you can reinsert the tooth into the socket or tell them to keep it in their mouth near the cheeks. Do not attempt this if your child is too young. They may swallow the tooth. Instead, place the tooth in a glass of saliva or milk. All of this is done in a bid to ensure that the tooth is never dry as moisture is crucial to the success of reimplantation.

Chipped Or Broken Tooth

The tooth crown is the largest and most visible part of the tooth. In most cases, it is the part that suffers trauma. This can lead to some part chipping or breaking off. This not always an emergency but certain types of crown fracture like pulp exposure require immediate attention. You may not be able to distinguish one type of crown fracture from the other, hence it is best to see your dentist.

The pediatric dentist will assess the fracture using dental X-rays, tooth color, and other tools at their disposal. Minor fractures only require the application of dental sealants while the more severe ones may need pulp treatments. At home, rinse your child’s mouth with warm water and place a cold compress on the affected area. You can also offer some medicine for the pain.

Lost fillings

Has your child been treated for cavities using fillings before? It’s possible for the filling to become loose over time. Sometimes, the fillings get completely dislodged and are nowhere to be found. In either case, prompt dental attention is needed. The filling has to be replaced.

Dental emergencies in children should always be taken seriously. Take your child to see the dentist if you notice anything unusual.