What To Do In A Dental Emergency? Quincy, MA | Sprout

Emergency Dental Care

At Sprout Kids Dentistry, we understand how important it is for our patients to have a place to go for emergency trauma care. If your child is a patient of ours and encounters a dental emergency please call our office 617-328-1700. 

If it is an after-hours dental emergency, please visit your closest area hospital emergency department or call Boston Children’s Hospital Dental Department 617-355-6571. 

However, until you see your Sprout Kids Dentist, here are some practical suggestions:

What Should I Do If A Tooth Chips Or Breaks?

If a tooth chips or breaks:

  1. try to save the pieces and then rinse your child’s mouth with warm, salt water (if available). 
  2. Use gauze or a clean washcloth to apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding. 
  3. As soon as the bleeding stops, apply a cold compress, call Sprout Kids Dentistry and bring your child in to see us. The pieces of the broken tooth may or may not be reattached by your pediatric dentist, but it is good to bring them in just in case. Often a chipped tooth can be repaired right away using a filling material. 
  4. Occasionally, the chip or fracture is so severe that a root canal must be performed (FOR ADULT TEETH) before the tooth is restored. This can be determined after an exam andx-rays are taken by our team and pediatric dentist during your child’s emergency visit.

What Happens If A Tooth Gets Dislodged Or Moved Due To Trauma?

If your child’s tooth or teeth get dislodged because of trauma, apply cold compression on the affected area to reduce swelling and bring your child to your dentist immediately. 

Successful reattachment usually happens WITHIN 1 HOUR of the tooth being knocked out. 

You must take action quickly!!!

Keep the tooth moist and safe on your way to Sprout Kids Dentistry by putting it in a cup of cow’s milk, or water (but milk is best).

FOR ADULT TEETH ONLY:

If the entire tooth with the long root end falls out of your child’s mouth and you are 100% confident it is your child’s adult tooth. 

Follow these steps:

  1. Handle the adult tooth with care. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT HOLD THE TOOTH BY THE ROOT.
  2. Wash off gently any debris on the tooth and re-implant the adult tooth into your child’s mouth! Be gentle and make sure the adult tooth is oriented the right way. Call our office and your pediatric dentist and SKD Team will guide you through the steps. 
  3. MINIMIZING TIME OUTSIDE THE MOUTH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ADULT TEETH. 
  4. The prognosis for adult teeth surviving being knocked out of the mouth greatly improves if an adult present at the scene of the accident can help your child re-implant the adult tooth.

BABY TEETH SHOULD NOT BE RE-IMPLANTED. THERE IS ALWAYS THE RISK OF ACCIDENTALLY DAMAGING THE ADULT TOOTH!

Besides The Teeth, What Should You Do With Trauma To Oral Structure?

Soft oral tissues like the gums, cheeks, the tongue, and the lips, can also acquire injury and require emergency trauma care. 

  1. When this happens, stop the bleeding by applying gentle pressure. 
  2. Make sure to apply gentle pressure and hold for some time (10-15 minutes). 
  3. Removing pressure on and off will prevent the bleeding from stopping. 
  4. Rinse your child’s mouth with salt water to disinfect, and then put ice over the affected area to reduce swelling. 
  5. If the bleeding does not stop in 15 minutes, head on down to the emergency room for professional care. 
  6. Also, call Sprout Kids Dentistry so your pediatric dentist can determine if the emergency after-care can be handled at our office.

What Happens If My Child’s Braces Get Damaged?

If your child’s brackets break free or the wires get dislodged, you should call your child’s Orthodontist office and have the brackets replaced or wires repaired. Often, dental wax, which comes in most orthodontic kits, can be used to block the wires from cutting the mouth’s soft tissues. Please call our team at Sprout Kids Dentistry if you have any braces concerns after a dental trauma and our team will try to assist you.

Dr. Michelle Anderson is a pediatric dentist board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.

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