Dental Emergencies: What Parents Need to Know

Accidents can happen anytime, anywhere. Often, they are completely unpredictable and occur when we are least prepared for them. They can affect any part of our body, including our teeth. Problems such as a severe toothache can also arise out of the blue. If you're a parent, chances are that you will worry more about your child suffering a dental injury or an emergency than you will about experiencing one for yourself. However, they are very common and usually, any damage experienced during a dental injury or emergency can usually be resolved fairly quickly by making an appointment with your pediatric dentist. 

If you have very active children, it is particularly likely that they will experience an accident or injury that may affect their teeth at some point during their childhood. Fortunately, by knowing what to do in a dental emergency, and having the support of a great emergency dentist, you can make sure that they don’t suffer any lasting damage to either the function or appearance of their teeth. 

Here’s What Parents Need to Know About Dental Emergencies. 

If you appear calm, it will help your child to remain calm

One of the most important things to remember is that whenever possible, you should remain calm when dealing with your child. Panicking following an injury is a normal reaction, especially among children who may not understand why they are in pain or who may be freaked out by the sight of blood. However, our children very much reflect our own emotions during a crisis. If you start crying and panicking, this will frighten your child and give them a reason to panic too. However, if you remain calm, this will help to reassure your child, making them less likely to freak out if they experience a dental problem.  

 

Visit your pediatric dentist regularly

One of the best pre-emptive actions that you can take to prepare for any sort of dental emergency is to visit your pediatric dentist on a regular basis. This will help your child to build a relationship with their pediatric dentist, and this will make an emergency visit far less frightening for them. Most dentists will ask to see a child every 6 months for dental check-ups. These appointments will be used to assess the health and condition of your child’s teeth, enabling prompt identification and treatment of any problems. This also means that your pediatric dentist will have an up to date record of your child’s dental health ahead of the emergency, and this could help them to make an accurate decision about the treatment that your child is offered. 
 

Know what to do in the case of a knocked-out tooth

There is no doubt that a knocked-out tooth is one of the most common types of dental injuries. This normally happens after an impact to the face, such as if your child comes off their bike and hits their jaw or face. If you are able to find the tooth or pieces of the tooth, there is a chance that it may be able to be repaired. However, the success of this depends on how quickly you can get the knocked-out tooth or partial tooth into milk. It is important to use milk as this helps to preserve the tooth. Be careful never to handle the tooth by the root if possible. If it appears visibly dirty, don’t scrub it but briefly rinse it with running water. 

 

Prepare a dental emergency kit to keep at home

Much like a regular first aid kit, a dental emergency kit can be a very useful thing to have for all members of the family, including your child. This should contain pain relief (including children’s pain-relieving medication), gauze for gums or sockets, absorbent dressings for bleeding, and sterile cloths that you can use to create a cold compress. Make sure that you have the contact number of your emergency dentist either inside your emergency kit or stored in your phone so that you can ensure you can obtain professional advice very quickly. 

 

If your child plays a sport, invest in a mouthguard

If your child is involved in any sport, even one that isn’t supposed to be a contact sport, it is beneficial to invest in a mouth guard for them. This will help to shield their teeth from damage in the event that they experience a blow to the mouth as they play. Your pediatric dentist will be able to advise you which is the best mouthguard for your budding athlete! In addition, be sure to make time to teach your child the importance of caring for their teeth properly. The better they are looked after, the stronger they will be and the less likely they are to experience problems. 

For more advice on dental emergencies, please speak to our pediatric dentistry team in Cleburne TX.