What is
a dental emergency? /
Broken tooth /
Knocked out tooth
Broken
Braces or Wires
/
Toothache
What is a dental emergency?
A dental emergency is one which may be causing considerable pain,
swelling or bleeding. It may be from a laceration or trauma to the
facial area. There may be teeth or other oral structures damaged. In
all cases, early intervention is critical. A phone call to our
office to describe the emergency is the first action to be taken in
most cases. Some emergencies may be handled over the telephone and
some require office interventions. If your child does require
office intervention there will be applicable after hours fees.
Broken tooth
First, clean the mouth in the area of the broken tooth and control
any hemorrhage. Identify the extent of the problem and then call our
office for instructions. Be prepared to bring your child immediately
to our office if requested to do so. Bring any broken teeth
fragments with you.
Knocked out tooth
A baby tooth that has been knocked out has little chance to survive
if re-implanted. It is still important to call our office for advice
and recommendations.
A knocked out or damaged permanent tooth does need immediate attention. If possible, recover the tooth and clean gently with tap water. Reinsert the tooth into the socket if possible. Call our office to inform us of the accident and we will make provisions to see you immediately.
If the tooth cannot be reinserted, place it in a small cup of milk for transportation to our office. Time is critical to the health of an avulsed tooth. Get help as soon as possible.
Broken Braces or Wires
Remove a broken appliance only if it comes out easily. If it is
lodged or painful to remove, cover any protruding edges with wax,
cotton balls, gauze or chewing gum. DO NOT REMOVE any wire caught in
the gums, check or tongue; see a dentist immediately. Emergency
attention is usually not required for loose or broken appliances
that cause no discomfort.
Toothache
Toothache in children is rare unless the child has untreated
cavities. If your child has no apparent reason for a toothache and
is seeing the dentist regularly, use warm water rinses and pain
medication to comfort the child. The pain should subside in an hour
or so.
If your child has an obvious cavity in the area of pain, bring the child as soon as possible to our office for evaluation. A toothache from a decayed tooth is a serious problem and needs prompt attention.
Any dental pain that persists more than two hours needs evaluation. Our office is available to help you at any time.
