Emergency Pediatric Dentist In Vancouver, WA
Like adults, children can also have dental emergencies. These pediatric emergencies need to be treated right away, especially if your child is bleeding or has severe damage to their mouth, tongue, and face. The pediatric dentist team at our Vancouver, WA clinic has years of experience in pediatric emergencies, and we will do everything possible to get your child in for an exam as soon as we can. It is vital that you contact us as soon as you can after a pediatric emergency to minimize the amount of damage.
What Is A Pediatric Emergency?
A pediatric emergency is any event that damages a child's teeth, gums, mouth, tongue, or jaw. Most pediatric emergencies are caused by an impact of some sort. Infants could be dropped, children could be hit with a ball, or they could be injured in an accident. Severe pain caused by a cavity or other issue could also be considered a pediatric emergency. Any time your child is hurting, you want to provide care for them as soon as possible. We do, too, which is why our kids' emergency dentists in Vancouver, WA will work to provide treatment as soon as we can.
Pediatric emergencies can be as scary for you as they are for your child. Fortunately, most dental emergencies concerning your child can be successfully navigated simply by staying calm and calling our pediatric emergency dentists in Vancouver, WA.
Pediatric emergencies can be as scary for you as they are for your child. Fortunately, most dental emergencies concerning your child can be successfully navigated simply by staying calm and calling our pediatric emergency dentists in Vancouver, WA.
Common Pediatric Emergencies
While anything that causes injury to the mouth and teeth can be classified as a pediatric emergency, we do see certain injuries more often than others. One of the most common pediatric injuries is damage to the teeth, specifically cracked, broken, or lost teeth. This can be caused by any type of blow to the face.
Your Child Cracked a Tooth
A tooth fracture may not seem quite as bad, but you will want to get it looked at as soon as possible. A fracture can potentially expose the nerve, which can be debilitating, and infections can happen fast. The longer you wait, the more extensive the eventual treatment may need to be.
If your child has a broken tooth, it is possible that they will cut themselves on the sharp edges of the break. Do your best to prevent that from happening. If you have dental wax, you can place a small amount of it on the broken tooth until you can come see us.
If your child has a broken tooth, it is possible that they will cut themselves on the sharp edges of the break. Do your best to prevent that from happening. If you have dental wax, you can place a small amount of it on the broken tooth until you can come see us.
Your Child Lost a Tooth
Losing a tooth earlier than planned can be worrisome, so of all the pediatric emergencies, this is the one where it is most important to project a calm, collected demeanor so that your child follows your lead. Even if it is a baby tooth that was lost, if it fell out early then you should still call our pediatric emergency dentist team in Vancouver, WA, so we can ensure it is all gone and there is nothing still beneath the gum. If it is a permanent tooth, then you should prioritize finding the tooth so it can hopefully be replanted.
With knocked out baby teeth, we typically do not try to reimplant it. Instead, we may need to put a spacer where the tooth was to make certain that the adult tooth correctly erupts in the space. However, you should still try to find the tooth, pick it up by the crown, and gently clean it. For older children, place the tooth back in its socket and have the child carefully hold it in place by biting down. If it cannot be placed back in their mouth or if the child is too young to hold it in place, put the tooth in a small amount of milk. It is important you come to see us as soon as you can once that is done.
With knocked out baby teeth, we typically do not try to reimplant it. Instead, we may need to put a spacer where the tooth was to make certain that the adult tooth correctly erupts in the space. However, you should still try to find the tooth, pick it up by the crown, and gently clean it. For older children, place the tooth back in its socket and have the child carefully hold it in place by biting down. If it cannot be placed back in their mouth or if the child is too young to hold it in place, put the tooth in a small amount of milk. It is important you come to see us as soon as you can once that is done.
Your Child Has a Toothache
Toothaches are a common childhood occurrence, and for the most part they are nothing to worry about. A toothache is only considered an emergency if it continues for longer than half an hour, or if your child seems to be in excessive amounts of discomfort. A toothache may be a symptom of many different problems, so we can only identify the cause by examining your child in-person.
Your Child Experienced a Dental Concussion
A dental concussion is usually not as bad as it seems. A dental concussion just means that your child has bumped their tooth, but that the tooth did not fall out or fracture. Toddlers are particularly prone to concussions, and it is not uncommon to see one with an off-color tooth. While this may look worrisome, discoloration is only an issue if it continues to get darker or eventually turns black.
Stopping Pediatric Emergencies Before They Happen
Prevention is always preferable to a cure. The best way to prevent pediatric emergencies is by regularly visiting us, at least once every six months. We can help reduce bad habits such as fingernail chewing or thumb sucking, provide specialized mouthguards for nighttime teeth grinding and athletics, and monitor the health of your child's mouth to spot outbreaks of gum disease or other problems.
Who Is Likely To Suffer From Pediatric Emergencies?
Pediatric emergencies can affect anyone. Children who play sports or who are more active are more at risk of damage to the mouth, but it is possible to damage a tooth by tripping or even by biting down into a hard food. Accidents can occur at any time, but that is why our kids emergency dentist team in Vancouver, WA is here to help.
If your child has a pediatric emergency, the first thing you should do is make certain they are okay. Once you know they are, call Vancouver Emergency Dentist, your pediatric emergency dentists in Vancouver, WA. We will get you in as soon as possible.
If your child has a pediatric emergency, the first thing you should do is make certain they are okay. Once you know they are, call Vancouver Emergency Dentist, your pediatric emergency dentists in Vancouver, WA. We will get you in as soon as possible.
Do You Have A Dental Emergency?
If your child has a pediatric emergency, remember our top two pieces of advice: stay calm, and call us immediately at 360-828-7997. Our local kids emergency dentists in the Vancouver, WA area can walk you through exactly what you need to do to help your child so they can begin smiling again in no time.