In Case of Emergency

Summer is slowly arriving. The weather has finally warmed up and the school year is finally coming to a close. The kids are so excited for the long days to play outside, swim, and have fun. Between the swimming pools, sports camps, backyard trampolines, and games, it’s inevitable that many parents will find themselves face-to-face with a child that is screaming hysterically, bleeding from their mouth, and maybe even while holding a tooth. It sounds terrible and it looks bad, but don’t panic. Anderson Pediatric Dentistry is here to tell you exactly how to handle your next dental emergency.

Whether it’s a baby tooth or a permanent tooth, any injury to the teeth or mouth should be examined by your pediatric dentist to ensure long-term damage is avoided. When a baby tooth is knocked out, chipped, or cracked, you want to make sure that there has not been any nerve damage and that the injury is not going to cause problems with the development of the permanent tooth. In general, baby teeth are not deeply rooted and permanent damage is less of a threat than losing a permanent tooth. However, losing any tooth before its natural time can cause potential problems with spacing and development of permanent teeth, as well as general speech development, and will need to be monitored.

Knock-Out?

If your child has a baby tooth knocked out, find the tooth and hold on to it. Your pediatric dentist may want to see it. Clean up any blood and use gauze and pressure to stop bleeding. Call your pediatric dentist and schedule an appointment to be seen as soon as possible to have everything checked. Most often, your Anderson, SC pediatric dentist, Dr. Kevin, will ask you to take a picture of the injury with your phone and send it to him immediately so that he can assess the severity and level of trauma.

Your child’s dentist may want to take x-rays to assess nerve damage and see the development of the underlying permanent tooth. This will help them decide whether spacers are necessary for holding the permanent tooth’s spot while it continues to develop.

If you suspect any facial trauma or injury, you will need to go straight to the ER. Otherwise, your pediatric dentist can advise you on the next steps and get you into the office for an exam to check everything out.

Chipped or injured, but not knocked out?

You guessed it. Call your pediatric dentist. In many cases, a loosened tooth that has not fully been knocked out can re-implant itself. Your dentist will likely recommend a soft diet and not chewing on that side of the mouth for a few days to help give the tooth a chance to reset. Your child may still need x-rays to check for nerve damage and cracks and your pediatric dentist can review cosmetic options, such as bonding, to help restore the tooth’s image.

Losing a baby tooth before its natural time can be alarming. Any dental emergency can be upsetting. However, it’s important to remember that the best thing you can do is act quickly and calmly. Clean up your child’s mouth and stop any bleeding. Console your child and alleviate pain with cold cloths or ice. And call Anderson Pediatric Dentistry to speak with them about the event and schedule an appointment to be seen immediately. Anderson Pediatric Dentistry can handle your dental emergency and make sure that the face-plant in the driveway or the fall from the monkey bars, doesn’t keep your child from showing off his or her best smile all summer long!

If you have a pediatric dental emergency or you are looking for a dental home for your child’s routine dental care, call our office today at 864-760-1440 and let us give you Something to Smile About!