Kid's Emergency Dentistry in Roanoke
Care When Your Child Needs It Most
If your child is experiencing a dental emergency, it’s important to get help from a dentist right away. Whether your little one has a nagging toothache or they damaged a tooth in an accident We Care Dental Care is here to help! We accommodate emergency cases, sedation for extreme pain, and compassionate solutions to get your child back to optimal dental health.
What Should I Do If my Child has A Dental Emergency?
The first thing you should do is schedule an emergency appointment. You can reach us at (540) 427-7274 to schedule an appointment. If your child’s tooth has been knocked out, rinse it gently with warm water and replace it in the socket. If this is uncomfortable for your child or you’re worried about them swallowing the tooth, you can put it in a small container with milk or your child’s saliva. The point is to not allow the tooth to dry out. Lost dental work, such as fillings or crowns, should also be rinsed and brought to your appointment.
Bleeding can be treated with clean gauze or cotton balls and gentle pressure. It should slow down or stop within 1-2 hours. Discomfort and inflammation can be treated with an over-the-counter NSAID like Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen). Don’t use aspirin, as it will prevent proper clotting. Ice packs can also be applied externally to reduce pain and swelling. Once you’ve treated pain, bleeding and discomfort, give our office a call.
What Counts As A Dental Emergency?
Dental emergencies include injuries like a knocked-out (avulsed) tooth, but you should also seek immediate care if your child is experiencing a serious toothache. As a general rule, we define a dental emergency as any issue that is causing your child pain that you cannot treat on your own. If their issue fits these two criteria, you should schedule an appointment with Dr. Burkitt.
What Do I Do If My Child’s Dental Work Falls Out?
If your child has pulled out or lost a piece of dental work such as a filling or a dental crown, this is considered a time-sensitive dental emergency. This issue may not seem serious, but dental work goes missing or is pulled out, it can make your child’s tooth vulnerable to further damage and decay until their dental work is replaced.
If possible, it’s a good idea to recover your child’s crown or filling, and bring it to our office in a plastic bag. This is because dental work like crowns can usually be replaced without completely remaking them, which will save you both time and money. Once you come into our office, Dr. Burkitt will determine why the dental work failed and restore your child’s tooth.
What Do I Do If my Child Has a Severe Toothache?
A serious toothache always indicates that something is wrong with your child’s mouth. If your child has a toothache that is very painful and lasts more than a day or two, call We Care Dental Care to schedule an appointment right away.
Usually, a severe toothache indicates a serious cavity or a tooth infection. If your child has a cavity, they will need to have their tooth filled or capped with a dental crown. A tooth infection may require a pulpotomy (baby root canal) to remove the infected pulp and heal the underlying structure of the tooth. If you do not get help right away, your child’s condition will continue to worsen and their pain and discomfort may become more severe.
What Do I Do If my Child Has a Broken, Cracked Or Chipped Tooth?
If your child suffers an oral injury and you suspect that one of their teeth is broken or cracked, or the tooth is visibly chipped or damaged, you need to come and see Dr. Burkitt for an emergency appointment.
Even a minor fracture or crack in your child’s tooth may lead to a high risk of tooth decay, infection, and other such complications. To ensure that your child’s mouth remains healthy, you should contact We Care Dental Care for a consultation. Your child may need a treatment like a dental crown or a filling to restore the shape of their tooth, and prevent further damage to the underlying enamel.
What Do I Do If my Child Tooth is Knocked Out?
A knocked-out tooth is one of the most serious dental emergencies. If your child loses a baby tooth prematurely due to an oral injury, schedule an appointment with We Care Dental Care. Our team will do everything they can to try and get your child in as soon as possible.
If your child has a baby tooth knocked out and Dr. Burkitt does not think it can be replaced, we may recommend a “space maintainer.” This is a special dental prosthetic that will be placed in the socket where your child’s tooth used to be. Space maintainers prevent teeth shifting, and help ensure that your child’s permanent teeth grow into their mouth correctly after they’ve lost a tooth.
Contact Our Kid's Emergency Dental Team Now
If your child is experiencing a dental emergency, call us now at (540) 427-7274 to schedule an appointment. Our team will get you in as soon as possible, but be sure to give us a call before you stop by!
We understand emergencies happen on the weekend, so please call our practice and we will give you a call back to get you in as soon as we can.