Dental Emergencies

Pediatric dental emergencies are situations requiring immediate care to alleviate pain, save a tooth, treat an infection, or care for an injury. Here are examples of the most common dental emergencies:

Abscess: An abscess is an infection that can develop in or around a tooth root. Without prompt treatment, the infection can spread, causing pain and complications. If you notice a pimple-like bump on your child’s gums, contact our office immediately!

Pain: Rinse the area with water and floss around the painful tooth to see if there’s any food trapped that’s causing the pain. Make sure to contact our office to schedule an emergency appointment.

Knocked-Out Baby Tooth: We never attempt to reimplant knocked-out baby teeth to prevent damage to the developing permanent teeth. However, it’s important to have your child evaluated to avoid potential complications.

Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth: Pick up the tooth by its crown and rinse it if it’s dirty. Return the tooth back into the socket, if possible, and place gentle pressure to keep it in place. If that’s not an option, put the tooth in some milk, not water, and bring it to your child’s emergency appointment. This is a time-sensitive dental emergency - the sooner your child gets treatment, the better the chances of saving the tooth.

Dislodged Tooth: If your child’s tooth moves out of place due to an injury or trauma, contact us for an appointment. We will determine the best course of action based on the extent of damage and whether the affected tooth is a baby or an adult one.

Chipped or Broken Tooth: Rinse with water and apply cold compresses to reduce discomfort. If there are broken pieces of the tooth, place them in some milk and bring them to your child’s appointment.

Soft Tissue Injury: If your child has an injury to the lips, tongue, or cheeks, apply pressure to stop bleeding and contact us for an appointment. If, however, there is uncontrolled bleeding, head to your nearest hospital emergency room.