About Simcoe Kids’ Dental Emergency Services
What constitutes a dental emergency? Anything tooth-related that you just didn’t see coming, and which needs immediate attention.
Show us a kid who has never needed to see an emergency dentist, and we’ll show you the tooth fairy!
Kids are active, adventurous, and, truth be told, quite often still clumsy. All of which can result in chipped, broken, loose (or knocked-out) teeth, dental pain, and other mouth injuries. Playground disasters, a simple stumble, sports-related accidents, an out-of-the-blue excruciating toothache all may require emergency dental for kids. All these and more can, and probably will happen to your child at some point in time. When they do, you’re going to want to see a dentist as quickly as possible!
We have implemented flexible scheduling in our dental practice, with wiggle room left open in our daily bookings to accommodate the unexpected wiggly (or worse) tooth.
THE FACTS
Some of the most common reasons your child might need to see an emergency dentist – and fast – include:
SEVERE TOOTHACHE
There’s nothing quite like an excruciating toothache or other pains in the mouth to make your little one miserable – and keep both you and them up at night! A fairly common occurrence for many children, oral aches and pains can be caused by a number of factors, such as:
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- Tooth decay
- Cavities
- Plaque buildup
- Broken teeth
- New teeth erupting
- Food trapped between teeth
- Other causes
If your child is complaining about toothache or mouth pain, or if your younger child is clearly in oral pain or discomfort (you’ll know!), there are a few things you can do to help alleviate any pain right away. Start by looking inside the mouth and checking for any swelling, redness, broken teeth, or other abnormalities.
Do a thorough floss to get rid of any stuck food, then rinse with warm saltwater. If the pain is really bad, you can even apply a cold compress to the outer cheek near the infected area, and dose with appropriate kids’ painkiller medication. If none of this provides effective, persistent relief, it’s time to call the professionals.
Call us at (705) 727-5705 and we will help find the problem and make it go away!
KNOCKED-OUT BABY TEETH
First off, if the tooth was knocked out due to some serious trauma, it is important to rule out concussions or head injuries first. Call 911 or head to your local hospital emergency room before even thinking about the tooth trouble. Once you’ve ruled that out, there really is no need to panic about a baby tooth being knocked out. For one thing, baby teeth typically have shallow roots which means there is much less chance of permanent damage if the tooth is knocked out. For another, reimplantation of baby teeth is typically unnecessary as they were going to lose those teeth anyway. That being said, you are still going to want to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible for knocked out baby teeth in order to rule out any possible damage to adjacent teeth. Our X-Rays can see things the naked eye can’t, plus we’d like to see the tooth in question to rule out any other possible causes or underlying issues.
KNOCKED-OUT PERMANENT TEETH
Once again, when it comes to head injuries that may have caused a tooth to be knocked out, you’re going to want to first rule out more serious injuries such as a concussion. With serious head injury ruled out, do take a second to save the knocked-out tooth immediately, as that is key to successful reimplantation (where possible). First, pick up the knocked-out tooth by the crown (i.e., not the root) and rinse with water or milk. Then transfer the tooth to a clean container and cover it with milk or salt water to keep it from drying out.
Now call us at (705) 727-5705 or email michelle@simcoekidsdental.ca to schedule an appointment – ideally within one hour of the accident (barring more serious injuries which will have you headed to the emergency room rather than the emergency dentist). Finally, remember that now is not the time to tell your child how careless they were (even if that really was the case)! A knocked-out tooth can be incredibly painful given that it affects the nerves, supporting tissues, and blood vessels. The pain they are feeling will be lesson enough!
PREMATURELY LOOSE BABY TEETH
Not to be confused with naturally loosening baby teeth, with wiggly teeth starting around the age of five, if your baby’s teeth are loose thanks to an accident of some kind, it is important to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible. We can assess the tooth and roots for any underlying causes and nip any ongoing problems in the bud; help with getting the tooth to re-implant if possible; or pull that sucker out if necessary to avoid discomfort and prevent choking hazards.
CRACKED OR CHIPPED TEETH
Chipped and cracked baby teeth are something we see quite a lot. While not a cause for undue concern, you are going to want to get them fixed to ensure long-term oral health! Signs of chipped teeth include teeth turning grey; infected gums – look for swelling, redness, or discolouration; and dental discomfort such as an obvious sensitivity to hot or cold food and drink.
OTHER DENTAL EMERGENCY SERVICES
Is your child experiencing or exhibiting signs of dental distress with no obvious cause? Give us a call at any time. No need for you to stress about what the problem might be when we can figure it out for you, and alleviate their pain and your anxiety in the process.
The Simcoe Kids Dental Difference
All of these listed emergency dental situations, and more, can be diagnosed and fixed quickly, efficiently, and gently by our emergency dental team. Plus, not only have we trained in all things teeth, we specialize in keeping kids happy and comfortable while we do it!
Our local emergency dental team will assess and fix the issue, along with your child’s tooth development for their age, the severity of the injury, and if any other teeth have been impacted. This thorough approach guarantees no lasting damage and a future of long-term oral health filled with bright, happy, toothy grins!