As a parent of young children, you may someday be faced with a dental emergency. Should that time ever come, you may wonder whether you should take your child to their dentist's office, or your local emergency room. Sometimes knowing what to do and acting quickly can greatly improve the outcome of the situation. Here is a small guide to help you know how to respond to certain emergency situations.
Broken Tooth
Children fall almost constantly. The challenge for parents comes when they get hurt doing so. Should your child fall and strike their mouth on a hard object or surface, there is a risk of breaking a tooth. The deep center of teeth is extremely sensitive and if a tooth breaks badly enough it can be incredibly painful. There may even be bleeding involved if the gums sustain any trauma. While a broken tooth may be traumatic for your child, it can usually be treated easily in a dental office. Depending on the severity, you may need to make an emergency call to your dentist.
Bit Tongue/Cheek/Lip
There are many blood vessels available to the mouth, tongue, cheeks, and lips. Consequently, if these structures are damaged there could be a considerable amount of blood. While it is common to occasionally bite your cheek or tongue, lacerations to either may need emergency services. Emergency departments frequently perform suturing of these structures. On your way to the hospital, make sure to apply pressure to the affected area with a cold compress.
Lost Tooth
Many movies depict confrontations that result in a character's teeth being knocked out. However, have you ever wondered how to respond to that challenge? What would you do if your son came home from football practice holding one of his permanent teeth in his hand? The solution is to immediately call your emergency dentist and put the tooth into a cup of milk. This is done to keep the tooth alive (with the sugars in the milk), as well as protecting it from potentially harmful elements. Should the tooth be out in the open for too long it will die, making replacing the tooth pointless.
In conclusion, act quickly to ensure the best possible outcome. When in doubt, call a local dental clinic such as Professional Dental Center. If there is a lot of blood and you become alarmed, there is no harm in going to the hospital.
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