Life and Its Curveballs

Life has a way of jumping into things and shaking up our daily routines. Unfortunately, that makes things uncomfortable. Often, these curveballs come in the form of accidents, and those can include dental emergencies.

Because we never know when life is going to throw us an unexpected surprise, it’s important to be prepared for dental emergencies. First, don’t panic! Ensuring you know how to act quickly can make a big difference when dealing with accidents of any kind.

Common Dental Emergencies

You never really know where the next twist and turn of life is gonna come from. Perhaps your little one tried skateboarding down a hill and failed to jump into the grass in time, resulting in a knocked-out tooth (true story). Or maybe they decided to try out an Olympic-level gymnastics stunt on the playground, breaking one of their pearly whites. Or maybe your little one woke up in the middle of the night screaming in pain because of one of their back molars. If any of these situations happen, what are you supposed to do?

Immediate Steps to Take in An Emergency

If you find yourself in any sort of dental emergency, the first step to take is to stay calm. We get it—this is your little one, and they are likely panicking as well! But freaking out isn’t going to help anyone. So take a few deep breaths, and then get to work.

Broken or Missing Teeth

First things first, find any stray pieces of tooth. If it’s the whole tooth, great! If it’s just pieces, collect them anyway. Store these fragments in milk or saline solution until you can get to the dentist. In the meantime, focus on helping your little one with any bleeding. To help with this, it’s best to press gauze against the affected areas. As soon as possible, call the dentist! The chances of getting a permanent tooth back into its original location drop drastically within half an hour.

Toothaches

When your little one crawls into bed with you at two in the morning complaining that their tooth is hurting, it’s time to figure out how the entire household can get just a little more sleep. Start by using some warm water to rinse out their mouth, focusing on the area where the pain is located. Next, floss to make sure there’s no food hiding in there. Finally, apply a cold compress to the outside of their cheek and give them some ibuprofen or Tylenol to help with the discomfort. If the pain is still there in the morning, go ahead and give us a call!

Cheek and Other Soft Tissue Injuries

When your little one falls and bites into their cheek, it can be a rush to figure out how severe it is. As with any accident, the first step is to stay calm. To stop any bleeding, apply a cold compress on the outside of the cheek and moistened gauze on the injury itself. If you are unable to get the bleeding under control, head to the emergency room. Regardless, be sure to call us as soon as possible so we can get your little one smiling again.

When to Seek Professional Help

If there is bleeding that won’t stop, it’s time to seek professional help from the emergency room. If there are any signs of broken bones, the ER is the place to be! If there’s severe pain that just won’t stop, it’s best to get into the emergency dentist. If it’s closed, you guessed it, it’s time to head to the ER.

Remember that when it comes to a little one’s health, you can never be too careful. If you ever have any worries, you can always call us! If it’s an emergency, we’ll help guide you and get you in as soon as possible.

Preventive Measures

We can’t keep our little ones confined in bubble wrap, but there are some things we can do to try and help prevent dental emergencies. If your child is in sports, be sure they’re wearing a mouth guard. Wearing a properly fitted mouth guard can easily save their smile if something happens out on the field.

Keep an eye out for those hard candies and foods. Sometimes one solid bite into a jawbreaker or sucker can crack a tooth!

One of the most effective ways to avoid dental emergencies is to keep up with regular dental checkups with your little one’s pediatric dentist. This ensures that their teeth are as strong as they can possibly be, setting them up for a lifetime of smiles.

Preparing an Emergency Dental Kit

We’ve all had to pull out that first aid kit before, typically for a bandage. It’s not a bad idea to add items specific to a dental emergency. You can add things like gauze, tweezers, floss, and gloves to the kit. If your child has braces, add in some dental wax and interdental flossers!

Care for those teeth!

When teaching your children how to care for their teeth, don’t forget to teach them how to avoid dental injuries. Whether this is in the form of reminding them to use their mouthguards, or just by reminding them not to open a bottle with their teeth, every little bit counts!

If you have any questions, concerns, or find yourself in the middle of a dental emergency, don’t forget to give us a call. We are here to help you every step of the way!