How to Handle your Child’s Dental Emergency?

It’s great to have kids in your home, not only does it brighten your day, it makes your place come alive as well. On the other hand, nothing can dampen your day more than having your child face a dental emergency. As a parent, you may come across many such events during your kid’s childhood, where you do not know how to help them.

It certainly helps to know the basics of dental first-aids and to-dos, which can help you manage your child’s dental problems properly.

Your child may come across one of the following dental emergencies, and this is how you should deal with them:-

Object caught in teeth

Having something stuck between teeth is quite a common problem among children, it can make your child feel irritated and can cause agitation. The safest way to get it out of their mouth is by using a toothbrush or dental floss. You can go very wrong trying to get the food out from between their teeth, for example using a sharp object like a toothpick or a paperclip can be tempting, but it might lead to various injuries in their mouth.

If you’re having difficulty in removing the object, you’re better off contacting a dentist than trying to force it out yourself. There is nothing wrong with going to a dentist for something so trivial, as they have the right tools and training for the job, and they can safely remove the food out of your child’s mouth.

Toothaches

Toothache can occur among children for various reasons, and the intensity of pain may differ depending upon the cause of pain. Some of the most common reasons that cause toothache in children are:-

• Tooth Decay
• Growing teeth
• Cavities
• Gum infection
• A foreign object stuck in teeth

Apart from pain, the child may experience other symptoms, like swollen gums, sensitivity to hot and cold food, and a fever in some cases. It is best to take your child to a dentist, as they may require antibiotics or pain-killers. Tooth cavity most frequently leads to toothache. In such cases, the dentist may recommend a dental filling for them.

Bit tongue or lips

Tongue biting is very common among children, while most of the time it’s minor and is easily treatable at home, sometimes, medical intervention by a professional is needed.

For treating it yourself – the first thing you need to do is to identify the cut, make your child rinse his mouth with some water, and try to look for a cut inside their mouth. Wear medical gloves if you have them, otherwise, wash your hands before you tend to the wound. Then take a small piece of clean cloth or gauze, and press it gently against the cut to stop the bleeding.

You can use Ice Pack in case of swelling, as it will also help with blood clotting. Do not hesitate to call a doctor if the cut is too deep or the bleeding won’t stop. Your child may need stitches if that’s the case.

A chipped tooth or cracked tooth

Children often stumble and fall flat on their face, which may sometimes cause them to crack or chip their teeth. While enamel is the hardest substance in our body, it’s not indestructible. You may think that, since it is a milk tooth, it is not a cause for concern, while it’s true that it’ll come back, it can create several other problems for your child.

A chipped tooth can lead to gum-related infection if it is left untreated. There may be jagged edges on the tooth, which can cut your child’s tongue, cheek, or lips.

Try to get an appointment with a dentist as soon as you can, meanwhile, make your child wash his mouth with salted water as first aid. The dentist may recommend a kids crown for the severely cracked tooth.

Knocked out tooth

If your kid has knocked out a milk tooth, it’s not much of a concern. You only need to ensure that you stop the bleeding and don’t let the wound get infected. Clean the wound with water and see a dentist if your child is in considerable pain.

However, if your child knocked out a permanent tooth, you need to take a few more steps if you want to save it from being lost permanently. Search for the knocked-out tooth and wash it gently under running water. Do not handle the tooth from its root or use any chemicals to clean it. Try to reattach it to its socket in your child’s mouth, push it gently until it’s level with the other teeth, and make your child bite on a piece of gauze or a clean cloth.

If reattaching the tooth is not possible, transport it in a container filled with milk or with some of your kid’s saliva.

Things to keep in mind

• It is always handy to have a family dentist that you can get a quick appointment with in case of an emergency. While you can take your child to an emergency ward, most of the time, they won’t have a dentist appointed there.
• If your child does not like going to a dentist or it is difficult to keep him calm on the dentist’s chair, your dentist might suggest sedation dentistry.
• Try to childproof your home as much as you can by closing off hazardous areas like stairs, especially if there are young kids in your house.