You do your best to keep your kids safe and healthy, but before you know it, you’re searching for a facility that specializes in dentistry for children. This can be a scary process for parents because the sights and sounds in dentists’ offices are unlike anything else kids encounter.
In a normal cleaning, there are rarely worrisome occurrences, but kids will be kids, and emergencies do happen — all the time!
Here’s what to do if your child has incurred a dental emergency:
1. Check for Bleeding
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before going near the wound. If the injury is bleeding, apply pressure with a clean cloth to help the blood clot.
2. Clean the Wound
Don’t scrub the area, but do clean it out with warm water and soap. Gently remove any dirt particles. Be sure not to blow in wounds on the face; this can cause germs to grow.
3. Clean Inside the Mouth
Have your child rinse with cool water for several minutes to remove excess blood and dirt particles.
4. Give Your Child a Popsicle or Ice Cube
Ice will help keep swelling down and reduce the bleeding by constricting the blood vessels.
5. Keep Missing Teeth Moist
If your child lost a tooth–and you can find it–take care not to touch the root. If you’re able, place the tooth back in the child’s mouth and get him or her to the dentist right away. Otherwise, place it in a container that’s filled with milk or salt water to ensure it stays moist.
Don’t discard the tooth, even if it looks beyond repair; your dentist will decide if it’s too damaged to do any good.
If your child lost a baby tooth, it may not be worth the effort of replacing it, but again, it’s best to let your dentist make that call.
6. See Your Dentist As Soon As Possible
Even if it doesn’t look like anything major happened, there could still be loose teeth or injuries inside your child’s mouth. Your dentist will be able to keep infections at bay if something serious did occur.
Centre Dentaire services patients of all ages. If you’re in search of a facility that provides dentistry for children in the LaSalle area, we’d love to meet you! You can schedule an appointment by calling (514) 367-0300, or fill out our online form!
