This article covers useful information about how to handle a dental emergency for kids. Our little ones love to run, jump and play and of course this is only to be encouraged! But being prepared for a child’s dental emergency could be worth your time. There are some very simple things you can be looking out for the next time your little one takes a fall.
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How To Handle a Dental Emergency For Kids
What You Can Do
In lots of ways a dental emergency is just like taking care of any other injury, and there are a few key steps that will ensure you’re taking control of the situation:
- Check for bleeding
- Stop any bleeding through applying pressure
- Clean the site with antiseptic or salt water
- Assess for further concerns
Get The Child To an Emergency Dentist Dublin
While you are waiting to be seen by an emergency dentist you can apply an ice pack or cold compress to the area in order to address any swelling. This can also be good for relieving any discomfort that the child is experiencing.
If your child has lost a tooth, and really this is for an adult tooth not a baby one which will not normally be replaced by dentists, where possible place the tooth back into its site in the mouth as this will protect the root and make it more likely that the reattachment will be possible. If there’s a choking risk or there’s too much blood to reattach then place the tooth in milk, but be careful not to touch the root of the tooth.
Dental First Aid Kits
Lots of people have first aid kits in their homes, but not so many have emergency dental kits in their homes. Having a dental first aid kit is a really good way to get prepared for those unexpected emergencies. The kit doesn’t need to contain anything very fancy and you’ll probably find you already own some of the items on the list.
Items to include: a tooth storage container with a sealed cap, a cold compress, mouth wash, a cup for mouth wash and gauze. There are also products which are great for those with fillings or crowns that can easily be applied to the tooth whilst you’re waiting to be seen by a dentist, although this is more relevant for adults.
Emergency Dental Visits With Children
One thing to keep in mind is that any trip for emergency medical care can be traumatic for your children. They will not only be in pain but worrying about what the consequences of the accident will be. It’s really important that parents remain as calm and focused in these situations as possible. Children are naturally extremely intuitive and will be reading your verbal and non-verbal stress signals. Trying where you can to maintain positive reinforcement and upbeat language whilst also managing expectations is really important.
Find an Emergency Dentist
We hope you enjoyed our post about how to handle a dental emergency for kids. It’s worth finding out if your current dentist offers emergency services and if so when they operate. There are dentists who don’t and it’s good to have a clear plan in place if anything were to come up, so get prepared.