A sudden dental emergency is something that no parent wants their child to experience, but it’s something that all parents should be prepared for. Knowing when you need to seek the help of an emergency pediatric dentist and when it is safe to wait for regular business hours is key, so in this article, we’ll review three times that you should seek immediate professional help.
- Your child experiences a traumatic dental injury. If your child has a permanent tooth get knocked out, cracked, or seriously chipped, you should contact an emergency pediatric dentist as soon as possible so they can help prevent permanent damage. Avoid touching the root of the tooth, and if you cannot place it back in the socket, you can place it in cold milk until you can get to the dentist. If there is uncontrolled bleeding, you should immediately take your child to the emergency room for assessment and treatment.
- Your child has an orthodontic emergency. Although they are rare, orthodontic emergencies do happen. If your child is experiencing extreme pain or sensitivity caused by their orthodontics, or something happens that compromises the orthodontics integrity, seek the help of an emergency pediatric dentist as soon as you can.
- Your child experiences extreme sensitivity or pain in their gums. We tend to think of dental emergencies as only involving teeth, but your gums can also require urgent care. If your child complains of extreme pain in their gums, you notice excessive bleeding after eating or practicing oral hygiene, or see evidence of a periodontal abscess, contact an emergency pediatric dentist right away to get their advice on how urgently your child needs to be seen.