More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year in both children and adults.
It’s easy to panic and feel anxious when your child injures their mouth. But try your best to stay calm and collected. Panicking will only stress your child, so keep a clear head, assess the severity of the situation, and get things under control.
If your child’s mouth is bleeding, use clean gauze, cotton balls, or paper towels to absorb the blood, and apply gentle but firm pressure to control the bleeding. Be aware that oral injuries can bleed quite heavily, but if you apply pressure to the area, or your child gently bites down on some gauze, the bleeding should slow within a few minutes.
You can have your child take over-the-counter medication like Tylenol or Motrin to help with pain and inflammation. Applying an ice pack externally to the cheek near the affected area can also help numb the site and reduce swelling.
Make sure you call us right away to schedule an emergency appointment with your child’s pediatric dentist. We can help you determine the severity of the situation and whether or not your child needs to be seen immediately.
We know that dental emergencies rarely happen on your terms, or on a set schedule. That’s why we offer same-day care to help your child get the care they need right away. Immediate dental care from a qualified dentist will ensure that your child can get relief from their pain and discomfort, and also prevents further complications related to their oral health condition or dental injury. Call us now for a same-day appointment.
Depending on the type of emergency your child is experiencing, there are a few different emergency procedures that may be required. Fillings or crowns may be needed for decayed teeth, and crowns are usually required to treat damaged or broken teeth. A pulpotomy (baby root canal) may also be needed for a damaged or decayed tooth that has become infected. Other common emergency procedures include replacing lost dental work, such as a crown or filling, and treatment for oral lacerations to the tongue, cheeks, lips, and gums.
Putting a knocked out tooth in milk, not water, can preserve the root while you head to your emergency appointment.
Knocked-out baby teeth are not usually replaced, even if they’re lost prematurely. If it’s a baby tooth, your child will need to come into our office to have their mouth examined and cleaned to prevent infection, and to get a “space maintainer.” This prosthetic will maintain the proper gap between their teeth, preventing the adjacent teeth from shifting toward the now-empty socket.
For an adult tooth, though, you need to get help immediately. Recover the tooth, rinse it, and put it in a container of cold milk to keep it moist. Then, come to our office immediately. Don't spend too much time treating pain or bleeding. Your child’s tooth must be re-attached within 1-2 hours for it to be saved, so time is of the essence. We can treat your child’s pain when they get to our office.
Collect the filling, crown, or other piece of dental work and place it in a plastic baggie. Then, call us for a same-day appointment, and make sure to bring your child’s dental work in with you. It may be possible to reattach a crown instead of completely replacing it.
A severe toothache could indicate that your child has a deep cavity or an infected tooth. You should schedule a consultation at our office right away, as these are both serious dental emergencies that will only get worse without proper treatment.
First, treat their discomfort and bleeding. Then, contact us for a same-day appointment. Even minor tooth damage can cause hairline fractures and these fractures could lead to infections and other complications. After consulting with your child’s dentist, they can determine the best treatment for restoring the damaged tooth, and ensure your child’s smile remains healthy and strong.
If a baby tooth has come loose and it’s not due to an oral injury, you don’t have to do anything. Baby teeth are meant to fall out eventually, so this is natural.
However, if one of their teeth becomes loose and is bleeding after an oral injury, it may not be ready to fall out yet. The best thing to do is to get a consultation with your child’s dentist to have their mouth examined, and determine whether the tooth can be saved or if it should be replaced with a space maintainer.
While you can take your child to the ER for tooth pain, this is not usually a good idea. There are a few reasons for this. First, most ERs are not meant to treat dental issues. The emergency room is set up to treat life-threatening health issues, and most ERs will not even have a dentist on staff.
Even if you can see a dentist at the ER, though, you’ll end up paying a lot more to get treatment compared to seeing an emergency dentist. Even a simple ER visit can cost thousands of dollars.
Most dental emergencies are not life-threatening, and that includes tooth pain. In general, we only recommend that you go to the ER if your child has another serious complication. For example, if they were in a serious accident and you think their jaw is broken, or they are having trouble breathing or swallowing, you need to call 911 and go to the ER right away.
Use your best judgment. You shouldn’t hesitate to go to the ER if you think it’s necessary, but in most cases, tooth pain can be treated by an emergency dentist like Dr. Thompson at Desert Kids Dental. If you’re not sure what to do, you can always contact our dental team at (702) 660-7099 to discuss your child’s situation.
If your child is experiencing serious pain and discomfort or their mouth is bleeding and you don’t know what to do, they’re having a dental emergency. This category is broader than you may think.
Of course, dental emergencies include dental trauma caused by accidents, slips and falls, hits in contact sports, and other such injuries. This can include cracked, chipped, or broken teeth, or even loose or knocked-out teeth. Large cuts and lacerations to the tongue, cheeks, gums, and other oral tissues are also dental emergencies. All of these conditions are very serious, and demand immediate treatment at Desert Kids Dental.
There are lots of other things that qualify for emergency treatment, though. This includes tooth pain, which may indicate a severe cavity or an infected tooth, as well as bleeding when brushing, pieces of food or other objects stuck between the teeth, and failed or damaged dental work, such as a pulled-out filling or dental crown.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so if you’re not sure if your child’s condition qualifies for same-day care, the best thing to do is to call Desert Kids Dental at (702) 660-7099. We can ensure your little one gets the care they need in Las Vegas.
Dental emergencies, particularly those caused by dental trauma, can be really painful and scary for kids. That’s why we offer dental sedation for emergency patients, including nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral sedation, and even general anesthesia.
With sedation dentistry from Dr. Sandra Thompson, your child can relax, rest, and get the treatment they need to eliminate their oral pain, restore their tooth, and prevent further complications and oral health issues.
Losing a baby tooth too early can be a dental emergency.
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