There are few things as alarming as your little one suffering an unexpected dental injury—so needless to say, the world might feel like it’s come to a screeching halt if your child has knocked out one of their teeth! Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take when this happens that’ll quickly get your child’s smile the help it needs! Here are 3 steps your emergency pediatric dentist wants you to follow when addressing this situation.
Step #1: Calmly Assess the Situation
It won’t do you or your child any good if you proceed to panic; you won’t be able to think clearly, and it might startle your child, too! That said, keep calm and set an example for your little one before proceeding to analyze the situation. Make sure that your child hasn’t sustained any additional injuries, and then inspect their mouth. If they’re bleeding, you can have them bite down on a piece of gauze or a clean washcloth; this light pressure in the area helps with both swelling and bleeding.
Step #2: Secure the Lost Tooth
It’s worth mentioning that retrieving baby teeth isn’t usually a priority, as replacing them would potentially disrupt the growth of the underlying permanent teeth. However, if your child has had one of their permanent teeth knocked out, you should attempt to locate it once you’ve tended to your little one’s injury. Once you’ve located the tooth, gently pick it up by its crown, or chewing surface, and store it in a plastic container or glass of milk—do not use water, and do not touch the tooth by the roots. In some cases, you might be able to replace the tooth in its socket by having your child bite down on gauze to hold it in place until you arrive at the dental office. In any case, their dentist is the only one truly qualified for dealing with the situation, so don’t try to fully handle it yourself!
Step #3: Contact Your Child’s Dentist
With any sort of dental emergency, especially lost teeth, time is of the essence; displaced teeth generally have the best odds of being salvaged if you can receive care within an hour. Even if things seem a little hectic, you should prioritize contacting your little one’s dentist and quickly scheduling an appointment. They’ll also be able to provide you with care tips over the phone so that you can assist your child leading up to their appointment.
Once your child is seated in their dentist’s chair, they’ll begin receiving the care they need, and you can rest assured that their smile isn’t in any long-term jeopardy!
About Kids’ Smiles on Lincoln
Our team here at Kids’ Smiles on Lincoln is proud to provide an exceptional level of pediatric dental care for families in the Worcester, MA area. We offer a wide range of services including emergency pediatric dentistry. If your little one has knocked out one of their teeth, don’t hesitate to contact us today to get their smile the urgent care it needs. Telephone: (508) 506-8859.