Q. What should I do if my child’s baby tooth is knocked out?
Contact our office as soon as possible. An x-ray will be taken to assess the damage and insure that the entire tooth came out. No attempt to replant a baby tooth is recommended.
Q. What should I do if my child’s permanent tooth is knocked out?
Rinse the knocked out tooth in cool water. Do not scrub the tooth. If possible, replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean gauze. If you can’t put the tooth back into the socket, place the tooth in a container of milk. Come to our office immediately. Feel free to call our emergency number if it is after hours. The tooth has a better chance of being saved if you act immediately.
Q. What should I do if my child’s tooth is fractured or chipped?
Contact our office as soon as possible. If the nerve is exposed, treatment will need to be done which could include a root canal. A composite “band-aid” can be placed as a temporary filling if the nerve is not exposed. This will help reduce sensitivity and a permanent filling can be placed in 10-14 days if the sensitivity has decreased. Following any trauma to the front teeth: (1) Soft diet for 7 days (2) Over the counter analgesics/anti-inflammatory meds like Advil or Motrin every 8 hours for 3 days (3) Antibiotics on a case by case basis, particularly if soft tissue trauma/bleeding occur.
Q. What do I do if my child has a toothache?
Call our office immediately to schedule an appointment. To help comfort your child, rinse out the mouth with warm salt water rinses and Advil/Motrin. Our office will usually phone in an antibiotic prescription. It’s important to avoid sticky sweets and sugary liquids as these will increase the pain.