Can a Pediatric Dentistry Perform Emergency Dental Procedures?

When your child has a dental emergency, a visit to a pediatric dentistry office is likely necessary. Most pediatric offices are well equipped to handle serious dental injuries. In fact, taking your child to see their regular dentist can be very beneficial. Your child can feel more at ease than they would in a new environment, and the staff will be more up to speed with your child's dental health and specific needs.

Common dental emergencies in children

Tooth and gum injuries are relatively common, especially in active children. Some situations can wait a day or two for treatment, while others require more prompt attention.

Knocked-out teeth

When your child loses a permanent tooth, time is of the essence. Preserve the tooth by placing it in a cup of milk or, if your child is old enough, have them carefully hold it in their mouth inside their cheek. This will prevent the inner tissues from dying. If a pediatric dentistry professional can see your child within an hour or so, there is a decent chance that a preserved tooth can be reinserted and saved.

Prematurely lost baby teeth may not need to be saved, but it is still important to have a dentist check for remnants and potential injuries below the surface. The dentist may fit your child for a spacer or partial denture to wear until the permanent tooth is ready to erupt, preventing alignment, speech, and digestive issues in the meantime.

Chips and cracks

Teeth with minor chips or cracks may be able to wait a few days for treatment, but any damage that exposes the softer tissues or roots requires immediate treatment. These injuries can quickly cause decay and infection, not to mention severe pain. If possible, a chipped or cracked tooth may be treated with dental bonding to fill in the gaps and reconstruct lost tissue. If the damage is severe, a dental crown may be needed instead.

Severe oral pain

If your child is complaining of sudden, severe, or chronic tooth pain, they should see a dentist promptly. Your child may be dealing with severe tooth decay that could lead to an infection. Fillings are the most common type of treatment for cavities, but if the decay has spread enough to weaken the overall structure of the tooth, a dental crown may be used instead.

Signs of infection

Dental infections should be taken very seriously. Over time, they can spread and enter the bloodstream, leading to a serious and even life-threatening condition known as sepsis. If your child develops any of these symptoms, they should be evaluated by a dentist as soon as possible:

• Severe or intense oral pain
• Swelling
• Redness
• Oozing or drainage
• Heat at the site
• The formation of a bubble along the gum line
• A fever that accompanies any of the above symptoms

Draining of the infection site, antibiotics, and tooth extraction are all possible treatments.