What to do for your littles ones when toothache or injury strikes

Dental emergencies are stressful enough for adults but can be especially scary for kids. Here we go into detail about the types of emergencies involving children we see at The Emergency Dentist Sydney and what to do to get through it.

Toothache

A toothache can occur for many reasons from food being stuck, decay or even an abscess, which may look like a little pimple on your child’s gums. Whatever the reason, it is best to get in contact asap so that we can diagnose the cause and relieve their pain. Generally, toothaches don’t get better with time, they get worse.

While waiting to get into the dentist chair you may check the mouth for debris and rinse thoroughly or gently use dental floss. It is not recommended however, to apply ice directly to teeth or gums as the tissue is sensitive and could burn.

Abscess

An abscess is an infection that occurs in the root of the tooth and fills with puss when left untreated. Not only does it cause a lot of pain for your child but can also result in breathing difficulties, pain when eating, fever, sensitivity, toothache, facial and gum swelling.

Chipped or broken teeth

It’s a fact of life that kids are pretty active. Playing sport, running around with friends or chewing on things they shouldn’t, may result in a cracked, chipped or broken tooth. If this does happen, contact us immediately so we can evaluate the damage and provide solutions for fixing it.

Dislodged Fillings

If your child’s filling comes loose or falls out, this should be dealt with and replaced quickly as the inner part of the tooth becomes exposed to severe sensitivity or toothache and even tooth decay as bacteria can enter.

Objects in the mouth

No matter how many times you tell your child not to, from time to time they’re going to put things in their mouths that they shouldn’t. Sometimes these objects or parts of the object can become wedged in their teeth. It’s important not to apply a great deal of pressure in trying to remove lodged objects but just gently try with dental floss – if it’s still not budging, best to get them in to see us so we can remove it whilst minimising any other damaged, like broken teeth.

Most importantly, stay calm during your child’s dental emergency to minimise the fear and stress they’re likely to be experiencing. The team at The Emergency Dentist Sydney are very experienced in this area and will have your little one on the path to recovery and smiling again in no time.