As a parent, there is nothing more troublesome than when your little one takes a nasty fall! Your kiddo stands up with tears gushing from their eyes and screaming, and you notice blood is present on their lip as you rush over to look at the extent of the damage. Big or small, we need to be prepared as parents to handle these kinds of situations. No doubt, it is overwhelming, but it happens to the best of us! Alongside trauma and falls, persistent pain, swelling, and prolonged tooth sensitivity are signs of needing emergency pediatric dental care. Here, we will discuss what classifies a true dental emergency and when you should contact a pediatric dentist.
Trauma: a true dental emergency
We are never fully prepared for the fear and heartbreak of when our little one takes a fall, hits the side of a table mouth first, or clumsily trips and face plants on the concrete. After a fall you should immediately assess the mouth and look for abnormalities such as tooth displacement, bleeding gums and lacerations to the soft tissue. As long as everything looks to remain in place, with no loosening or displacement of teeth, monitoring your child closely should suffice without needing attention from an emergency pediatric dentist. If the following occur, contact your pediatric dental provider immediately!
Primary or adult teeth:
- Abnormal loosening
- Displacement axially
- Displacement other than axially
- Tooth driven inwards/upwards
- Complete displacement
- Fractures of any kind
- Cuts that penetrate through the lip
Persistent pain: it’s time to call for an emergency dentist visit
Increasing and persisting tooth pain can indicate a serious problem in your child’s oral wellness. When your child begins to complain about pain, find out where their tooth is hurting and evaluate the area visually. Also, find out how long the area has been causing your little one discomfort. Pain can indicate several things such as:
- Decay
- Abscess or infection
- Sinus issues/infections
- New or erupting dentition
- A fall or trauma has occurred
Swelling and extreme tooth sensitivity constitute a pediatric dental emergency!
When looking for signs of problems in your child’s mouth, one thing to look out for is extreme swelling or a raised-looking pimple on the gum area. This, in combination with pain and/or sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, can be a red flag indicating a severe infection that may need antibiotics so that we can treat the infected area safely, relieving your child’s discomfort.
Contact your experienced emergency pediatric dentist in Dallas!
We understand that dental traumas and discomfort for your little one can be stressful! That’s why we provide emergency pediatric dental care in our kid-friendly environment and will nurse your kiddo back to comfort. Through our experience and with our compassionate hearts, we will take the necessary precautions to make sure your child is treated safely and in a timely manner. Whether your child is experiencing dental discomfort, or just needs routine dental care, we would love to partner with you on your child’s journey to dental health. Don’t hesitate! Contact one of our friendly patient care specialists today.
Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontist in Dallas
At myKIDSdds, our team aspires to be recognized as the premier center for pediatric dentistry and orthodontics in Dallas by providing the best dental experience and highest quality of care to our patients with integrity, compassion and love. We care for your children as if they were our own so you can rest assured that our skilled (and very fun) team of dental professionals, alongside an award-winning kid-friendly environment will have your little one begging to stay! We would love to schedule an office tour or book an appointment, just give us a call or schedule online! We can’t wait to meet you and your family!
To hear about our current patients’ experiences with our office, visit our testimonials page or find us on google or facebook.
