What Is A Common Emergency In Pediatric Dentistry?

Dental emergencies can arise at any time, and it’s critical to understand them so that they can act fast. At Port Lavaca Pediatric Dentist, we are satisfied with being equipped to attend to you if you need emergency dental services. Below are some recognized commonplace pediatric dental emergency instances and what to do if they appear.

Dental Emergencies in Children

A dental emergency is unpredictable and painful, especially when it occurs to a toddler. With very little information about the problem, your infant’s dental issue can quickly turn into a complete nightmare. Some of the most frequently approached dental emergencies include throbbing toothache, avulsed teeth, fractured teeth, bitten lips or tongues, and trapped foreign bodies between the teeth.

Purpose of Emergency Pediatric Dentistry

Our team has expertise in handling emergency dental cases in children. We meet emergency needs, relieve pain, perform additional short-term treatment, and outline a treatment course to prevent future dental problems.

Besides, adequate receptiveness, tolerance, and warmth are promoted because such occurrences may emotionally traumatize learners. As much as one may try, dental emergencies may occur, but normal dental checkups on the child are very crucial to the overall dental health of the child.

Prevention Better than Cure

A lot of emphasis should be placed on preventing and managing dental emergencies, hence the importance of such measures. The education of children, ways and means of proper oral health care, use of mouth guards during play /sports /games, etc., will be good primary measures.

Preventing your teeth from getting infected is always more important than visiting the dentist’s office for treatments. If your toddler has a toothache, a chipped tooth, a lost tooth, or the filling or crown has come off, you need to get help immediately, as delaying it will worsen the problem.

Below are some dental emergencies:

Infected Baby Tooth
Children often suffer from an infected baby tooth. This is particularly true if bacteria find their way into the tooth through cavities or decay it. The affected tooth may be sensitive and painful, leading to swelling and sometimes fever. If they become infected, the child should visit the dentist soon.

The dentist may also give antibiotics to clear the infection and possibly deep clean and treat the affected tooth. Sometimes, even the tooth is to be extracted to stop the infection from escalating.

Tooth Fracture
Tooth Fracture is a condition whereby a child damages or chips a tooth. This can result from a fall, a sports activity, or biting something hard. Cracks in the teeth are painful if the split is severe and can even lead to toothache.

If your child has a knocked-out tooth, you should first rinse your child’s mouth with warm water to clear the broken area. Ice should be applied intermittently to minimize inflammation. The child should consult a dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist will determine the right course of action and can recommend either bonding, crown, or, in extreme circumstances, root canal therapy.

Dental Avulsion
Dental avulsion is a trauma where a tooth is removed from the alveoli. The management measures are as follows: –locate the fallen tooth, grab it by the crown, rinse it under cool running water, and attempt to replace it in its socket.

If you cannot reinsert it, it is recommended that you put it in milk or saliva and then rush to the dentist. Generally, immediate treatment may help retain the tooth, but the child must see the dentist as soon as possible.

Tooth Abscess
A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus due to bacterial contamination, which might also occur in primary and everlasting teeth. An abscess leads to extreme pain, a swollen face, fever, and a terrible taste in the mouth.

Rush for expert intervention from a dentist near you when you have an enamel abscess. The dentist will cope with the abscess and prescribe antibiotics to help fight the infection. Sometimes, cavities across the tooth can cause enamel abscesses, requiring a root canal or extraction.

Broken Tooth
A broken tooth is another common dental problem for children. It can be due to falls, accidents, or biting on hard objects. However, when any tooth becomes fractured, it will open a crack through which the tender part of the tooth is exposed, thus leading to pain and sensitivity. Thus, you must turn to a dentist immediately to avoid worsening the problem and your child’s pain.

Tooth Sensitivity
Sensitivity of teeth in one or the other is also quite common when you accidentally sip hot tea or ice-cold soda or eat a piece of ice cream. However, high sensitivity can be a sign of a much bigger problem.

If your child starts complaining of sensitive teeth, then he/she should be taken to a pediatric dentist to establish the sensitivity’s degree.

Toothache
If a toothache does not dissipate after a day or two, it might indicate something is off. In the best-case scenario, food trapped between the teeth or the gums might make your child uncomfortable. If that is all, you could have your child rinse warm water in their mouth to wash out anything stuck. After that, you may assist them by flossing between the teeth. If the pain is still persistent, your child must find a pediatric dentist’s office to visit.

Lost Fillings
If your child has a filling for cavities, they might become loose over time. Of course, it is also possible that the filling will be lost entirely out of the tooth at some stage. Loose or lost filling is another dental issue your child needs to sort out immediately.

Conclusion

In the case of any dental emergency, your child should not hesitate to consult with us. The pediatric dentist at our dental practice is the professional your child needs. Contact us today and book your child a future dental visit that can guarantee your child the best health of their teeth.