Kids are prone to dental emergencies, especially if they are active or athletic. Most often, those are trauma-based emergencies: Kids fall off their bikes or take baseballs to the mouth, and loose teeth as a result. In fact, up to 40% of the nearly 5 million teeth lost annually are lost in sports emergencies.

Of course, kids also can fall prey to other dental emergencies, including decay-based abscesses. Getting your kids prompt care is crucial to preserving their long-term oral health.

Get help immediately if your child experiences any of these dental emergency symptoms:

• Severe pain in the mouth or gums
• Fever
• Pain that gets worse when the child bites down
• Tooth sensitivity to hot or cold
• Swelling
• Severe pain in the jaw or ear area
• A bad taste in his or her mouth

If your child has lost a tooth, rinse the tooth in milk and then place it in a small, sealed container of milk. Do not use water.

We may be able to restore your child’s original tooth into his or her mouth. If we can’t, some cosmetic dentistry allows us to restore your child’s smile.

If your child’s tooth is cracked, have him or her rinse with warm salt water. Then give your child a bit of gauze to bite down on gently, which will help control the bleeding. Then make an appointment with us right away.

Never place aspirin directly on your child’s tooth or gum area. That can burn the soft, sensitive issues, causing your child even more pain and distress.

If your child experiences tooth pain, you can have him or her rinse with warm salt water. From there, you can give your child some over-the-counter children’s pain medication to help with the pain. Make an appointment with us as soon as possible. Your child may suffer from an oral abscess, which could be fatal if it isn’t treated properly and quickly.

Preventing dental emergencies in children

You can prevent future trauma-based dental emergencies by having us fit your child with a custom-made mouthguard. Custom-fit mouthguards cause the least amount of soreness while offering the most protection. A mouthguard allows your child to keep playing sports or remain active without fear of losing teeth.

You can prevent the other types of dental emergencies by helping your child adopt good oral hygiene habits. Also, you should bring your child in for a check-up at least once a year, so we can catch and fill cavities before they turn into a dental emergency.

See an emergency pediatric dentist in Seattle or Everett, WA today

Walk-ins are welcome, and we make same-day appointments available for issues just like this one. We won’t leave your child waiting.

Want to make sure we can see you? Call Pure Dental Arts now to set up a same-day appointment.