Children lead rough and tumble lives that lead to accidents and minor injuries. Inevitably, your children will injure their mouths at some point in their lives, which means that you should prepare for dental emergencies. Dental emergencies happen at unexpected and inopportune times, but we’re here to prepare you for some of the most common dental emergencies.
How to Handle Your Child’s Dental Emergency
Toothache
A toothache is a common problem that people of all ages experience. The best to way to treat them is by cleaning the affected area of the tooth. Rinse out their mouth with warm water, and floss near the tooth to dislodge any debris. If their pain persists for more than a day afterwards, then contact their pediatric dentist.
Knocked out Permanent Tooth
If possible, locate the tooth and rinse it with water only. Do not clean the tooth with soap, and only handle it by the crown, not by the root. After you have rinsed it off, store it in a plastic bag filled with milk, or your child’s saliva, not water. After storing the tooth, take your child to their pediatric dentist so that they can reinsert the tooth. If you want to keep the tooth, it is important that they see a dentist as soon as possible.
Chipped or Fractured Permanent Tooth
Time is an important factor to restore a chipped or fractured permanent tooth. Have your child rinse out their mouth with warm water to reduce the chance of infection. If you have a piece of the fractured tooth, the keep in a bag or glass of milk and bring it to their dentist as soon as possible.
Oral Cuts
Rinse out their mouth with warm water. If there is bleeding, apply gentle pressure with a gauze or cloth. If the bleeding cant be controlled, then visit their doctor or pediatric dentist immediately.
Blow to the Head
If your child suffers any sort of head injury, it is important that you call 911 immediately. Take your child to the nearest hospital or emergency room to get them medical treatment.
Be Prepared
If your child doesn’t already have a pediatric dentist, then it’s important that you find one near you immediately. A pediatric dentist will help you better prepare for dental emergencies, but will also be able to aid your child should an emergency occur.