Emergency Dental Care For Children: 5 Tips Parents Need to Know

25 September 2023

Unfortunately, sports and general childhood rambunctiousness often lead to dental injuries. Although you can mitigate the risks by investing in a custom mouth guard for your child, some accidents are impossible to prevent. That’s why it’s so crucial for parents to know these five emergency dental care tips.

You must remain calm and act quickly when a dental emergency happens. Consider contacting Oakville Place Dental immediately for emergency dental care.

What is a dental emergency?

Any situation that requires prompt attention from a dentist is considered a dental emergency. Your child could be experiencing a wide variety of dental issues. It could be as simple as a toothache or something more serious like a broken tooth.

Knocked-out teeth, swollen gums, jaw pain, and broken braces constitute a dental emergency.

Timely attention is vital. Therefore, you should contact your emergency dentist in Toronto immediately. You can call Oakville Place Dental Office at (905) 842-6030.

Tips for Parents During a Dental Emergency

Stay calm

Dental emergencies are painful for children. However, they’re also distressing for the parents. Seeing your child bleeding or in pain is difficult (and often overwhelming). Nonetheless, the best thing you can do for your child during a dental emergency is to remain calm and provide assurance.

Comfort them and let them know that everything will be all right. If you stay calm, your child will find it easier to do the same.

Take immediate action

It’s essential to act quickly during a dental emergency. First, inspect the injury site and evaluate the damage. If the tooth is broken, your child should rinse their mouth with warm water. For dental abscesses, rinse with warm salt water.

If a baby tooth has been knocked out, you should never attempt to ram the dislodged tooth back into its original socket. Doing this can damage the permanent tooth beneath your child’s gums and lead to infection. Instead, place the tooth in a cup of warm salt water or milk.

Reduce the swelling

The injury will likely cause your child’s cheeks to swell. A cold compress can help manage the swelling. Your child can also drink cool water and suck on an ice pop. The cold temperature will numb the area and reduce the pain.

Collect the pieces

Collect the tooth and any remnants if the tooth has been knocked out or broken. Although you can rinse off any dirt, you should not scrub or remove any fragments of gum and tissue.

Call your child’s emergency dentist

You should contact your dentist at Oakville Place Dental immediately for emergency dental services. If your child has sustained a dental injury, time is of the essence. Your dentist may be able to perform emergency treatments to preserve the tooth.

Conversely, a severely injured or loose tooth may need to be safely removed. Promptly responding to your child’s dental emergency also reduces the chance of infection or other complications.

What To Do in a Dental Emergency

What to do if your child knocks out a tooth:

It’s crucial to seek emergency dental care quickly if your child knocks out a tooth.

Immediately, please have your child rinse their mouth gently with warm water and use a cold compress to manage the swelling.

Place a knocked-out baby tooth in a cup of milk and bring it to the dentist. Similarly, knocked-out adult teeth should also be preserved in a cup of milk or salt water. Do not scrub or remove any attached tissue. You should avoid ramming the tooth back into its socket.

What to do if your child cracks a tooth:

Cracked, fractured, and broken teeth always require timely dental care. If the pulp (the living tissue within the tooth) is exposed, it can become infected. Your child will need a root canal as a result.

Rinse the mouth with warm water if the tooth is cracked or broken. Then, apply a cold compress to the child’s face to decrease swelling. Lastly, contact the emergency dental team at Oakville Place Dental in Toronto.

What to do if your child has a toothache:

To treat your child’s toothache:

  1. Rinse their mouth with warm water.
  2. Use dental floss to remove any food trapped between their teeth gently.
  3. If the pain persists, contact Oakville Place Dental for emergency dental services.

What to do if your child is bleeding after the loss of a baby tooth:

It would be best to attempt to stop the bleeding by packing gauze over the affected area. Your child should bite down on the gauze for 15 minutes (repeat once, if necessary).

If the bleeding worsens and refuses to stop, it may constitute a dental emergency. In this case, you should contact Oakville Place Dental.

What to do if your child bites their tongue or lip:

First, clean the area with warm water and a cloth. Apply a cold compress to help mitigate the swelling. Persistent and excessive bleeding indicates that you should seek emergency dental care.

What to do if your child’s braces break:

Broken orthodontics can damage your child’s gums and cheeks. You should remove the broken pieces if possible. If not, cover the sharp edges with dental wax to protect your child’s mouth. Your dentist at Oakville Place Dental can repair the braces.

Contact Oakville Place Dental for Emergency Dental Services

Dental emergencies are scary for parents and painful for children. Whether it’s a severe toothache or a fully dislodged tooth, dental emergencies require timely attention from a skilled dentist. Responding quickly minimizes damage, prevents infection, reduces discomfort, and helps your child feel better faster.

Oakville Place Dental treats dental emergencies quickly, comfortably, and cost-effectively. Our kind and talented staff will make your child (and you) feel calmer and more at ease. We are here to help with high-quality emergency dental services.

In addition, we work with your insurance company, billing them directly whenever possible.

If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please get in touch with us immediately at (905) 842-6030.

For emergency dental care in Oakville, call Oakville Place Dental at 905-842-6030 or contact us here.

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