Emergency Care Instructions

Children of all ages can traumatically injure a tooth. Injuries may result from any number of situations, including bad falls, playing a sport, or bike or car accidents. When your child experiences a dental emergency, there are a few things you can do to care for the injury before meeting with our dentists.

If your child has a broken jaw or another serious injury, we recommend that you visit the emergency room or your medical physician before seeking dental treatment. If your child's injury is life-threatening, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Chipped or Fractured Teeth

Some types of chips, cracks or fractures are relatively painless, but others may result in extreme pain. When your child chips or fractures a tooth, contact our office immediately. While waiting to meet with our dentists, here are some things you can do:

• If any part of the tooth has broken off, rinse it in lukewarm water and bring it with you to the appointment
• Apply gauze to any bleeding areas for 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops
• Place an icepack or cold compress on the cheek over the area to minimize swelling and pain
• Use a topical pain reliever

You may also cover the affected area with dental cement (available for purchase at most pharmacies).

Avulsed (Knocked-Out) Teeth

If your child's tooth has been completely knocked out of its socket, contact our office immediately. Time is a critical factor in whether or not we can successfully replace your child's tooth in his or her mouth. After arranging to meet with our dentists, follow these instructions:

• Rinse your child's mouth to remove blood or other debris.
• Place a cold compress or icepack on the cheek over the injury to reduce swelling.
• Pick up the tooth by the crown (chewing surface). Do not touch the root.
• Gently rinse the tooth with water to clean it. Do not use any soap or chemicals, scrub or dry the tooth, or wrap it in a tissue.
• If possible, place it back in the socket and hold it in place by gently biting down. If your child cannot do this, keep the tooth moist by holding it in the cheek pouch, or by placing it in milk, saline solution, your own saliva, a tooth preservation kit (available at most pharmacies) or in water.

Toothaches

A simple toothache can often be relieved by rinsing the mouth to clear it of debris, or by flossing to remove debris lodged between the teeth. If this does not relieve the problem, contact our office and make an appointment with our dentists so that we can determine the cause of your child's toothache and provide an appropriate treatment.

Do NOT place aspirin on your child's gums or teeth, as this can cause damage to their oral tissues.