Children’s Dental Emergencies

Children are not immune to accidents that can endanger oral health. In fact, children are more vulnerable to dental emergencies because of their carefree nature. They hardly recognize danger when they see it. For children, the world is one big playground full of laughter.

But you know better. That’s why your partner in Golden Square Dental serves not only adults but also takes care of your children. At Golden Square Dental, we treat every dental emergency with urgency and efficiency.

Common Dental Emergencies of Children

We have listed the most common dental emergencies experienced by children, and the first aid steps to deal with them.

Toothache

• Let your child rinse his/ her mouth with lukewarm salt-water solution. Dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of water.
• Help your child floss his/her mouth gently, particularly on the affected area, to make sure no food debris is left/lodged.
• Do not give aspirin to your child, nor put aspirin on the affected tooth or surrounding gums as this could only burn the gums.
• If there is swelling, apply a cold compress on the outside of the cheek.
  Call your dentist immediately.

Knocked Out Tooth

• Rinse your child’s mouth with clean lukewarm water.
• Apply cold compress if there is swelling.
  Secure the tooth immediately.
• Pick it up by the crown (top of the tooth) and never the root.
• Handle the tooth carefully as damage can affect re-implantation.
• If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it on a bowl of lukewarm water for no more than 10 seconds. Do not scrub or rub the tooth.
• If it is a permanent tooth, reinsert it into its original position by letting your child bite down gently on a piece of clean material.
• If it is a baby tooth, do not attempt to reinsert it as it can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath.
• If you are not sure whether it is a permanent or baby tooth, best let your dentist reinsert it.
• Soak the tooth in milk, saline, or saliva while you drive to your dentist.
• Visit your dentist within 30 minutes of the injury.

Broken Braces

• Make sure that there is no debris from the broken braces left in the child’s mouth.
• Use the eraser of the pencil to move the offending braces into place. Make sure that the eraser is clean.
• Use a clean cotton swab to cover the end of the braces.
• Visit your dentist immediately.

Bitten Lip/Tongue

The lips and the tongue are soft tissues in the mouth including the gums and the cheeks. They are composed of a large number of blood vessels; hence they bleed a lot when injured. Here’s what you can do:

• Rinse your child’s mouth with clean water.
• Apply direct pressure on the injured part by pressing clean gauze or any material that can absorb blood and saliva easily.
• Hold ice over the injured area to reduce blood flow, pain, and swelling.
• Call your dentist immediately.

Same Day Emergency Appointment Usually Available!

Golden Square Dental, your trusted local dentist in Golden Square, caters to your child’s dental emergencies. We want to end your child’s pain and your worries as soon as possible.

Call us at (03) 5443 0063 or request your dental emergency appointment.