When your child suffers trauma to a tooth or has a toothache, it can be painful and frightening for both of you. No parent wants to see their child in pain, and you want to have the dental issue resolved as quickly as possible. At Georgia Orthodontics & Children’s Dentistry in Lawrenceville, we understand how frightening a dental emergency can be for you and your child. We offer a safe, comforting environment when your child has a dental emergency, whether or not you have been to our office before. We will always try to see dental emergencies on the same day, if possible.
Emergency Dental Care for Children
When you need emergency or urgent dental care for your child, do not hesitate to call us at Georgia Orthodontics & Children’s Dentistry in Lawrenceville. We can offer emergency dental care for your child, whether they have a severe toothache, a traumatic tooth loss or a broken dental restoration. Our experienced pediatric dentist and support team can provide prompt dental care in a calming atmosphere. We are here when you need us the most to handle any dental emergencies that impact your child.
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
Trauma
Regardless of dental injury, if your child is experiencing physical effects of trauma such as nausea, severe pain, unconsciousness or vomiting, you should take your child immediately to an emergency room at a hospital or medical facility.
For dental trauma only:
Is Your Child’s Tooth Bleeding?
If there is bleeding, use a clean cloth or gauze, and apply pressure to the tooth or gum area to stop the bleeding.
Is There a Loose or Chipped Tooth?
If a piece of the tooth is removed, preserve it in milk or your child’s saliva in a container and bring it with you when your child comes in for treatment. If the tooth is very loose after trauma, keep it in place by having your child bite down gently on a clean cloth or soft material. If the tooth is loose but you are not receiving treatment immediately, stick with soft foods and liquids for nourishment until treatment.
Loss of a Permanent Tooth
If a permanent (adult) tooth is knocked out by trauma, it is important to seek urgent dental care. If you are not sure if it is one of your child’s permanent or primary teeth, call our office for assistance.
If it is a permanent tooth and it is clean, you can reinsert the tooth gently back into the socket to keep it protected. Hold the tooth by the crown and gently place it in the socket, then cover with clean gauze or cloth, having your child hold it in place by biting down gently – call our office to alert us to your dental emergency. If the tooth is dirty or your child is too upset to comply with reinserting the tooth, put the tooth in a container with milk (don’t try to clean it) and bring it with you to your emergency dental appointment.
Loss of a Primary (Baby) Tooth
If your child knocked out a baby or primary tooth in an accident, do not try to reinsert it into the socket. Use a clean cloth or gauze to stop any bleeding, and call our office for an emergency dental appointment.
Toothache
If your child’s toothache is accompanied by visible swelling around the jaw, neck or eye, please bring your child to the emergency room for examination.
If your child is complaining of a severe toothache, visibly examine the tooth and surrounding gum tissue. If there is swelling or a lump by the tooth, it could be an abscess or infection that needs treatment. You can help minimize discomfort by using warm saltwater to rinse your child’s mouth. You can give your child pain medication (Tylenol or ibuprofen) in the appropriate dose for their age, and use an ice pack to reduce swelling until you can come to our office for treatment.
Lip Cheek or Tongue Bite
It is common for accidental lip, cheek or tongue bites to occur after dental treatments due to numbness in the area. You should try to prevent this from occurring by not allowing food/chewing until the local anesthesia has worn off and keeping an eye on your child’s mouth after treatment. We do not recommend eating until the numbness wears off. If your child does accidently bite their lip, tongue or cheek, you can relieve pain with OTC children’s Tylenol or ibuprofen and a cold compress. The wound will heal, but it may take up to two weeks.
If your child has a dental emergency, please call us at Georgia Orthodontics & Children’s Dentistry in Lawrenceville. We are here to help talk you through what to do to immediately address the problem until you can come in for an emergency dental appointment.