Dental Emergencies

If your child faces a dental emergency, give us a call immediately. A dental emergency includes an avulsed (knocked out) tooth, a large fracture of a tooth, a displacement of a tooth/teeth, unmanageable tooth pain, facial swelling from an abscess, broken jaw, and a lost crown or space maintainer. We can also help with “shark teeth” (double rows of teeth) and teach ways to avoid injury in the first place.

If you need urgent treatment after hours, you can call our emergency number. We are always here to assist when your little one’s dental health is at risk.

Below are some tips for dealing with urgent dental situations. You may want to display this list on your refrigerator or store it near your emergency phone numbers for easy reference.

Avulsed (Knocked-Out) Tooth

For a permanent (adult) tooth

If your child's Permanent tooth has been knocked out, find and rinse it with water (no soap), taking care to touch only the crown (the part you can see when it's in place). If possible, replace the tooth in the socket and hold in place with clean gauze or a wash cloth. If not, place the tooth in a clean container with milk. Call us immediately and/or head to the hospital. If you act quickly, it may be possible to save the tooth.

For a primary (baby) tooth

When a primary tooth is avlused, never insert it back into the socket as this could cause potential harm to the permanent tooth. For this reason, a primary tooth is never replanted into the mouth by a dentist either. Apply a cold compress if possible to reduce swelling. Bring the child and the tooth into the dentist when possible to assess the area and possibly take an x-ray.

Broken, Chipped, or Fractured Tooth

This depends on the size of the fracture and the tooth involved. Call the our office as soon as possible to receive further information. To better assist you, questions will be asking including when it happened, how much of the tooth is gone, how it happened, whether the tooth is now wiggly, etc. Based on this information, our office will assess if the patient needs to come in immediately or not. If the piece of tooth is able to be located, please make sure to take this to the our office also. A cold compress may be applied to reduce swelling but please keep in mind that fractured teeth are generally cold sensitive.

Displacement of a Tooth or Teeth

When a primary or permanent tooth is repositioned, please call the dentist office or head to the emergency room immediately. A cold compress may help with the swelling

Unmanageable Tooth Pain or Facial Swelling

This can be a very serious condition. Please call the our office or head directly to the emergency department. While waiting use a cold compress to ease the pain.

Broken Jaw

If you know or suspect your child has sustained a broken jaw, use a cold compress to reduce swelling. Call our emergency number and/or head to the hospital immediately. In many cases, a broken jaw is the result of a blow to the head. Severe blows to the head can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

Lost Crown or Space Maintainer

Please save the crown or space maintainer and bring it into the office. Getting this replaced in the mouth is very time sensitive. Ideally this will be done within one week of it coming out.

"Shark Teeth" (Double rows of teeth)

This happens very commonly in children between approximately five to seven years of age in the anterior area. If the baby tooth is loose, please help your child to give the tooth 50 to 100 wiggles every morning and night. If the tooth is not getting more wiggly or is getting less wiggly over the next couple of weeks, please call the office as we may need to help these teeth fall out.

Avoiding Injury

You can help your child avoid dental emergencies. Child-proof your house to avoid falls. Don’t let your son or daughter chew on ice, popcorn kernels, or other hard foods. Always use car seats for young children and require seat belts for older children.

If your child plays contact sports, have him or her wear a mouthguard. Ask us about creating a custom-fitted mouthguard for your little athlete. Finally, prevent toothaches with regular brushing, flossing, and visits to our office.