A Parent’s Guide to Handling Dental Emergencies Involving Children

A Parent’s Guide to Handling Dental Emergencies Involving Children

Dental emergencies that involve your children can be frightening. Parents should know how to calmly handle dental emergencies that involve their kids. Whether that’s a toothache or a knocked-out tooth, this guide will help explore the most common dental emergencies and how you can quickly respond to make sure your children’s oral health and well-being are excellent.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies:

  1. Toothaches: Various methods can cause toothaches in children. The main ones are tooth decay and gum disease. If your child ever has a toothache, contact SmileTown: Just Kid’s Dentistry immediately so we can diagnose the problem and get them in for dental treatment. We want to make sure that you, as the parent, are consistently keeping up with your child’s oral health care to avoid this type of dental emergency in the future.
  1. Knocked-out tooth: Your child’s tooth can be knocked out due to a fall or injury which can happen during playtime or even the slightest trip. If the tooth gets knocked out, you want to act quickly and hold the tooth by the crown and avoid touching the root of the tooth. Once you have a grip on it, gently rinse it with water if it’s dirty and try to reinsert it back into the socket. If this doesn’t work the next best option is to place the tooth in a glass of milk or saliva to keep it wet. The next step is to rush to a dentist within 30 minutes for the best chance to revitalize the tooth. This is vital to do with adult teeth but not so much with primary teeth. 
  1. Broken or Chipped Tooth: A broken or chipped tooth in children can cause severe pain and sensitivity. If this occurs, please rinse your child’s mouth with warm water and apply a cold towel to reduce the swelling. If you can manage to save any of the extra broken pieces of the tooth, contact us for an evaluation and treatment options to get your child’s tooth back to normal.
  1. Dental Abscess: A dental abscess is a serious infection that requires immediate attention. Symptoms may include severe tooth pain, swelling of the gums or face, and fever. Contact us or seek emergency medical care if you suspect your child has a dental abscess.

Dental Abscess: A dental abscess is a very serious infection that will need to be instantly treated by a dentist. If not, it will not go away on its own and can cause further infections to the rest of the mouth or even the child’s body. Symptoms can include severe tooth pain, swelling of the gums or face, and a fever.

Tips for Handling Dental Emergencies:

  1. Staying Calm: The first step you should do as a parent is to stay calm and reassure your child that everything will be okay. This will change the child’s demeanour which will help them alleviate their stress and can make the situation easier to manage
  1. Be Prepared: Parents usually have a med kit at their house or in the car that’s equipped with all of the necessities like gauze and bandages. Keeping another small container that has a lid with pain relievers for children and the contact information of your children’s dentist could be something to consider.
  1. When to Seek Professional Help: Most dental emergencies can be managed at home temporarily but other emergencies will require a professional dentist to intervene. As a parent, you should always trust your instincts and seek help from a dentist at SmileTown: Just Kid’s Dentistry or another emergency medical service. 
  1. Encourage Good Oral Health: The best method to avoid dental emergencies is to watch your children brush and floss twice a day, consume healthy foods and drinks and to visit the dentist twice a year. Visiting the dentist can help diagnose any other problems that could be underlying and prevent further damage to your child’s teeth.

Dental emergencies that involve your children can be very stressful. We hope that this guide helped you increase your knowledge and to better prepare yourself in case one does happen. By being prepared you can effectively handle these situations to ensure that your child can receive the appropriate care. By doing all of the points above, you can protect your child and their well-being for years to come.

Reach Out to Our Kids-Only Dentist TodayAre you searching for a friendly and experienced children’s dentist to help your child maintain a healthy smile early on? Luckily, our office and team are always welcoming new patients with no referral necessary. To book an appointment, call SmileTown – Just Kid’s Dentistry at (226) 773-1663, or contact us here.