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What To Do In a Dental Emergency
and How to Prevent Them
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Your child has broken or knocked out a tooth while playing softball, climbing on a jungle gym, or skateboarding with friends. Do you know what to do?
A Baby Tooth is Knocked Out
- Contact a pediatric dentist as soon as possible. Quick action can lessen a child's discomfort and prevent infection.
- Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling.
- Spend time comforting your child rather than looking for the tooth. Remember, baby teeth are seldomly replantable.
- If you find the tooth, rinse gently in cool water and store in container of milk or water.
- The pediatric dentist may make an appliance to replace the missing tooth so your child's smile will be normal again.
A Permanent Tooth is Knocked Out
- Find the tooth. Rinse it gently in cool water. (Do not scrub it or use soap).
- Replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean gauze or a wash cloth. (If you can't put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk or water.)
- Take your child and the tooth to a pediatric dental office immediately. (Call the emergency number if it's after hours.)
A Tooth is Chipped or Broken
- Contact a pediatric dentist immediately. Fast action can save the tooth, prevent infection and reduce the need for extensive dental treatment.
- Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling.
- If you can find the broken tooth fragment, take it with you to the dentist.
A Toothache
- Call your pediatric dentist and visit the office promptly.
- Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold compress or ice wrapped in a cloth.
- Do not put heat or aspirin on the sore area.
Emergencies Can Be Prevented
- Encourage children to wear comfortable, professionally crafted mouth protectors during sports.
- Always use a car seat for young children. Require seat belts for everyone else in the car.
- Child-proof your home. A significant percentage of mouth injuries occur in children under the age of three.
- Protect children from unnecessary toothaches with regular dental visits and preventative care.
Quote
"Two groups of children are most at risk of a mouth injury – toddlers learning to walk and athletes playing contact sports. What should parents do? Child-proof their homes, insist on mouthguards for budding athletes, and keep handy the phone number of their pediatric dentist."
Courtesy of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 1998
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