Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City
516-222-5100
Dental emergencies can be painful and nerve wrecking, especially for children. Knowing what to do when one occurs can mean the difference between saving and losing a tooth.
There are a number of simple precautions provided by the ADA that you and your children can take to avoid accident and injury to your teeth. One way to reduce the chances of damage to your teeth, lips, check and tongue is to wear a mouth guard when participating in sports or recreational activities that may post a risk. Also, avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels and hard candy – all of which can crack a tooth. Never use your teeth to cut a piece of tape, string, etc.
Here are a few tips for handling specific dental emergencies, provided by the ADA.
Toothache: Clean the area of the affected tooth. Rinse yours or your child’s mouth out thoroughly with warm water, and gently use dental floss or an interdental cleaner to ensure there is no food or other debris caught between the teeth. Never put aspirin, heat or any other painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth because it may burn the gum tissue. If the face is swollen, apply cold compresses and contact Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City immediately.
Cut or Bitten Tongue, Lip or Cheek: Clean the area gently with a cloth and apply cold compresses to reduce any swelling. If the bleeding cannot be controlled by simple pressure, call Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City or visit the hospital emergency room.Broken Tooth: Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water to clean the area. Use cold compresses on the area to keep any swelling down. Quick action can save the tooth, prevent infection and reduce the need for extensive dental treatment. Call Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City immediately. If possible, locate and save any broken tooth fragments and bring them with you to the dentist.
Knocked Out Permanent Tooth: Hold the tooth by the crown (never by the root) and rise off the root of the tooth in water if it’s dirty. Do NOT clean the tooth with soap, scrub or handle the tooth unnecessarily. If possible, gently insert and hold the tooth in its socket by biting on gauze. If that isn’t possible, put the tooth in a cup of milk and get to Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City as quickly as possible. Don’t forget to bring the tooth with you! Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth.
Knocked Out Baby Tooth: Contact Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City. This is not usually an emergency, and in most cases, no treatment is necessary.
Chipped or Fractured Permanent Tooth: Contact Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City immediately. Quick action can save the tooth, prevent infection and reduce the need for extensive dental treatment. Rinse out your child’s mouth with water and apply cold compresses to reduce swelling. If possible, locate and save any broken tooth fragments and bring them with you to the dentist.
Chipped or Fractured Baby Tooth: Contact Pediatric Dentistryof Garden City for further instructions.
Objects Caught Between Teeth: Try to gently remove the object with dental floss; avoid cutting the gums. Never use a sharp instrument to remove any object that is stuck between your teeth. If you can’t dislodge the object using dental floss, contact Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City.
Possibly Broken or Fractured Jaw: Apply cold compresses to control swelling. Keep the jaw from moving and go to Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City or a hospital emergency department immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment