DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE A DENTAL EMERGENCY? Dr. Kotil and his staff are ready and available to help your child with any dental emergency they may be facing. Don't wait, call us today!
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS A TOOTHACHE (PAIN) If your child reports a toothache, first evaluate the affected area to ensure that it is clean. Check for swelling around the tooth, which would indicate an infection or “abscess,” in which an antibiotic would be necessary. If facial swelling is noted, SEEK TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY WITH A DENTIST OR URGENT CARE. If no swelling is noted and no dental fractures are seen, rinse the mouth and look for any trapped food. DO NOT use Hydrogen peroxide. For temporary pain management, use acetaminophen (Tylenol).
IN THE CASE OF A FRACTURED OR BROKEN TOOTH All fractured teeth do not need the same treatment. First rinse and clean the area to evaluate the extent of the injury.
In PRIMARY teeth, minimal fractures or “chipped teeth” can usually wait until the next day. Treatment would include smoothing off the chipped area to avoid discomfort to the lip and tongue. More extensive fractures could include perforation into the pulp or nerve of the tooth. You will notice this by bleeding from the “middle” of the tooth. This type of injury will need immediate treatment by a dentist.
For fractures of PERMANENT teeth, recover the broken parts, place in water or milk and seek immediate dental treatment.
KNOCKED OUT BABY TOOTH DURING AN INJURY In the event that your child falls, hits, or runs into something, causing a primary (baby) tooth to fall out, it is necessary that you seek dental care. Possible facial or dental fractures may have potentially occurred during the injury, and need to be addressed. If possible, bring the tooth with you to the appointment. NEVER TRY TO IMPLANT THE TOOTH BACK INTO YOUR CHILD’S SOCKET (GUMS). Unfortunately, the tooth cannot be replaced because long term prognosis is poor. Upon evaluation of your child, a referral to an urgent care may be necessary (for a chest X-ray), if the tooth is not found and your child is having chest pains or problems breathing, to evaluate if the tooth has been swallowed or aspirated into the lungs.
ACTIONS TO TAKE WHEN A PERMANENT TOOTH IS KNOCKED OUT In the event your child or teenager gets into an accident and loses a permanent tooth, time is of the essence. After you recover the tooth, grab it by the top (the crown). DO NOT TOUCH THE ROOT OF THE TOOTH. Carefully rinse the tooth and, if possible, reinsert the tooth back into the socket (gums). Some pressure might be necessary to fully replace the tooth. Once reinserted, hold with gauze or cloth and seek dental treatment immediately, where a dentist will evaluate and splint the tooth with an orthodontic wire for 10-12 days. IF you cannot reinsert the tooth, place it in a cup of water or milk and REMEMBER, for the survival of the tooth, time is essential, so seek treatment at the dentist as soon as possible.
WHEN YOUR CHILD LOSES A BABY TOOTH When a child “pulls” out his or her own baby tooth, not only is the TOOTH FAIRYon the way, but there may be minimal bleeding associated with it. Place WET gauze over the bleeding site and have your child bite down and hold with firm pressure for 15 minutes. IF bleeding continues, consult a dentist. Avoid such things at cookies, crackers and crunchy foods for the rest of the day, which could pierce the area and start the bleeding all over again.
DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE AN APTHOUS ULCER OR COLD SORE? The most your insurance company will provide is an estimate. There are many factors that can affect the estimate, for example, a deductible that hasn’t been met, a portion of benefits used with another provider, or changes that we were not made aware of.
CALL WITH YOUR DENTAL EMERGENCY QUESTIONS TODAY: 402-964-9009