Emergency Dentist for Child
While no parent ever wants to need any kind of emergency treatment for their child, accidents happen; it is important to know how best to care for one’s child when they do. For high fevers, broken bones, cuts, and other bodily injuries or illnesses, a trip to the Emergency Room is sometimes required. When injuries are sustained to the teeth or gums, you might find yourself in need of an emergency dentist.
Steps to Take Immediately Following an Oral Injury
If your child has sustained an acute injury to the mouth that might have damaged either their teeth or soft tissues, it is important to first get control of the injury and then assess how serious the damage is. In cases where bleeding is present, you’ll want to first stop the bleeding. Applying pressure is the best way to do this.
You should then clean any area that has been lacerated or otherwise injured. Using mouth wash is a good way to clean your child’s mouth in an emergency. Because assessing damage to teeth can be difficult for anyone who is not trained as a dentist, spotting dental emergencies can be difficult; look at your child’s teeth and soft tissues carefully and take note of anything you see so that you can share that information with a dentist.
If a tooth has been knocked entirely out of your child’s mouth, it is important to try to locate the tooth and place it carefully back in place. Take care not to touch the delicate root of the tooth as this could damage it irreparably. Instead, handle it only by the enameled crown. If possible, place the tooth – root side down – back in your child’s mouth and have them bite down gently on a clean, wet paper towel or piece of cloth. This will help put the root back into contact with the soft tissues of the mouth where it has a chance of later being reconnected.
If you are unable to place the tooth back in your child’s mouth due to serious pain or distress, simply place the tooth in a sealed container full of either milk or salt water. This will help keep the root of the tooth moist while it is being transported and give your dentist the best possible shot at reattaching the tooth successfully.
When and How to Be Seen by an Emergency Dentist
If pain, swelling, or other symptoms are severe, call your regular dentist’s office to get a phone number for an emergency dentist in your area and give that person a call. A consultation over the phone is usually enough to determine whether or not your child needs to be seen immediately.
If your child needs to be seen immediately, the dentist will meet you at their office to perform an evaluation and any treatment that may be necessary.
What Can I Do Now to Prepare for a Dental Emergency?
No one knows when accidents might occur but being prepared can take a lot of the stress out of the equation if and when something happens. If you don’t have one already, put together a dental first aid kit that you can grab in a moment of crisis. At minimum, it should contain sterile gauze, mouthwash, a cold compress, and a small container with a lid that you might use to transport a tooth should you ever need to. Best case scenario is that you’ll never have to use it. If you do, though, you’ll be glad that you took the time to prepare.