Toothaches

It is important to get an evaluation from one of our dentists as soon as possible if your child has intra-oral pain (pain inside his or her mouth). Please call our office ahead of time so we may reserve the most efficient appointment time for you. If ignored, dental pain usually leads to larger problems.

If your child has a toothache, rinse the irritated area with warm salt water. Gently use dental floss to ensure that there is no food or other debris caught between your child's teeth. Place a cold compress on the face if it is swollen.

Acetaminophen is effective for any pain. Never place aspirin directly on the teeth or gums. Some people try placing an aspirin or other kind of pain killer on a painful tooth, but this is not something we recommend. These kinds of substances can actually burn your gum tissue! Motrin or Advil (Ibuprophen) can also be used to temporally alieve discomfort.

Broken, Fractured, Displaced Tooth

If your child loses a tooth from an injury, try to remain calm. Call our office immediately and we will help you to determine if it is a permanent or primary tooth. If it is a permanent tooth, avoid touching the root in any way. Take the permanent tooth and gently rinse the tooth under running water, but avoid rubbing the root area. Hold it by the crown rather than the root and try to reinsert it in the socket. (Your child can keep it in place until treatment by biting down on a wet piece of clean gauze.) If that is not possible, put the tooth in a glass of milk, yogurt, or saliva, and take your child and the glass immediately to our office, or an emergency medical treatment facility.

For a broken tooth, rinse your child's mouth out with warm water to clean out any debris or foreign matter. Use a cold compress on the child's cheek or gum near the affected area to keep any swelling down. Call our office immediately.

Minor fractures may be smoothed with a sandpaper disc or simply left alone. Another option is to restore the tooth with a composite restoration. In either case, treat the tooth with care for several days. Keep your child on a soft diet that avoids use of the broken tooth. Moderate fractures include damage to the enamel, dentin (the bony hard portion of the tooth), and/or pulp (the nerve and blood vessels within the tooth). If the pulp is involved, the tooth may need a nerve treatment, including the possibility of a root canal in order to save it. The tooth may be restored with a composite filling or a permanent crown. If damage to the pulp does occur, further dental treatment will be required.

Severe fractures often mean a traumatized tooth with slim chance of recovery.

Bitten Lip, Tongue, or Cheek

Clean the area gently with a cloth and apply cold compresses or ice to reduce swelling. If the bleeding doesn't stop, go to a hospital emergency room immediately.

When a child bites his or her tissue when it is numb, the after-affects look quite disturbing. When the 'sleeping tissue' wakes up more discoloration and swelling will occur. The area may become very large and ugly; we describe it looking like raw hamburger! Monitor the area for signs of infection. Ibuprophen, an anti-inflammatory may help; but time is the only real cure.