Emergency Pediatric Dentist: Common Emergencies We See

We know you strive to keep your children safe, but accidents can still happen. Dental emergencies can be very painful and leave parents unsure on what to do. It’s critical to handle these situations with care to ensure your child’s safety and preserve their health. In this post, we’re here with expert advice on what to do in three common emergencies – loose fillings, knocked out teeth, and dental abscess. Whether you’re seeking immediate action from your emergency pediatric dentist or following up for long term care, preparing yourself with knowledge will reassure you that you can confidently respond to these scenarios. Let’s get into it!

Cavities are common in children, and sometimes fillings can become lost or loose. This can be prevented by avoiding sticky or hard foods- but sometimes accidental trauma can occur. If a loose filling is left untreated it can become a very painful experience and the tooth can decay further. It’s vital that parents do the best they can to watch out for the symptoms – toothache and sensitivity to certain foods – to take proper care.

Call your child’s dentist immediately and schedule an emergency visit. Most of the time the filling can easily be replaced, but sometimes a dental crown may be necessary. It is important to schedule your appointment as soon as possible to avoid further damage or infection. Preventative measures are a vital first step. Helping your kids with their oral hygiene habits and offering low sugar food options are the best ways to prevent cavities from happening.

Knocked out teeth can happen! Kids are in sports, play hard at recess, and don’t have the coordination (or risk assessment, caution, etc…) that adults do. It’s important to take care of these situations quickly, even if it’s a baby tooth, because you want to be sure that no other damage has occurred. If your child has knocked out a permanent tooth, there may still be a chance of saving it.

Knocked out teeth are unfortunately sometimes accompanied by head trauma. In this situation, it’s important to assess if teeth are the priority. If your child is unconscious, slurring their speech or acting especially off – call 911 and go to the ER. If your child is otherwise seemingly fine, keep the tooth moist by either keeping it in your child’s mouth or in a jar with milk, where it can survive for up to an hour. Contact your child’s emergency pediatric dentist immediately for a higher chance of saving the tooth.

A dental abscess is when a bacterial infection forms at the root of a tooth due to untreated cavities, dental trauma, or gum disease, which causes pus to accumulate. The abscess can cause swelling, fever, and therefore substantial pain. If it goes untreated, the infection can spread and become very serious. It’s important to understand the symptoms in order to take action.

Symptoms of a dental abscess include a persistent toothache, swelling in the mouth, face, and neck, redness, fever, and a bump on the gums near the infected area. If you think your child may have a dental abscess, contact their emergency pediatric dentist immediately and schedule an appointment for as soon as possible. Until your child is able to be seen, continue proper oral hygiene and avoid applying pressure to the area, since it could make the pain worse.

Parents can’t stop all accidents from happening. However, providing yourself with the right tools is necessary to prevent the emergency from escalating. Today we covered three pediatric dental emergencies, all of which requiring fast action and an emergency pediatric dentist. We are proud to offer emergency dental services to our pediatric patients in Chicago’s west suburbs. We are always accepting new pediatric patients and would love to see you for a free consultation. Please visit here to schedule yours today.