Emergency Medical Services for Children Day is coming up on May 23! This holiday was established to raise awareness about the need for specialized emergency care for children, and it’s celebrated during Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week.
Emergency Pediatric Dental Care
In the spirit of this holiday, we thought we’d dive into the topic of emergency pediatric dental care. It can be terrifying when your child is having a dental emergency, but at Growing Smiles Pediatric and Family Dentistry, we make sure they receive prompt care by including blocked times in our schedule for unexpected emergencies. Here are some common dental injuries and what we recommend doing for your child:
- Toothache
- Chipped Tooth
- Knocked-Out Tooth
- Object Lodged in Teeth
If your child has a toothache, rinse their mouth with warm water to help clean the area. Gently use dental floss to remove any food particles that may be causing pain. If the pain persists, call us immediately.
If your child chips a tooth, inspect your child’s mouth to ensure that no pieces of tooth are stuck in the gums, tongue, or lips. Rinse the mouth with water to clean the area and use gauze to contain bleeding. Contact our team as soon as possible in case the nerve is exposed.
If your child has knocked out a permanent tooth, keep it moist by placing it in a container of milk until you arrive at the dentist. If your child lost a baby tooth, it does not need to stay moist but you should consider seeing a dentist to check if there is any additional damage.
Depending on the size of the object, gently try to remove the piece of food or object with dental floss. If it does not come out, schedule an emergency appointment with our office.
How Can My Child Avoid a Dental Emergency?
There are many different precautions you can take to avoid injuries. Children should wear a mouthguard when playing sports to prevent dental trauma. Don’t let children run around with objects in their mouth, as they could fall and injure their teeth. Use gates to block stairways or basements to prevent young children from falling.
Contact Us After a Dental Emergency!
Even with these protections you might not be able to prevent a dental emergency since they seem to happen when we least expect it. What you can do is help your child maintain a daily oral hygiene routine and bring them to our office every six months to keep their teeth strong and healthy. If you or your child has a dental emergency, contact our team immediately!
CONTACT US ASAP