Dental Emergencies: Do You Know What To Do For Your Child?
You're sitting there watching as your child plays his favorite sport. One second, he's doing great, having an awesome time, but the next, blood is gushing from his mouth. He's been hit with a ball, foot, knee, or who knows what, and your child is suffering a dental emergency. Do you know what to do?
Ice Now!
Get the ice pack on your child's face as quickly as possible. The faster the ice is applied, the better control you'll have over the swelling.
Get a Look
You'll need to see how extensive the injury is. Do your best to look inside to see if any teeth have been broken or have been knocked out. If there's a tooth to be found, you need to start looking for it as quickly as possible.
Control the Bleeding
Clean gauze must be applied to the wound to try to slow the bleeding. Replace the gauze when it becomes saturated with blood. If the bleeding is heavy or does not slow within the first ten minutes, you must start thinking about an emergency room visit. If the bleeding slows or stops, a trip to an emergency dentist is in your future.
Keep the Tooth
If a tooth has been knocked out, you need to find it quickly. If the root is intact, there's a good chance that the dentist will be able to put it back in place. The trick is to find the tooth. Handle it only by the crown, never the root, then rinse it with water and store it in cold milk until you get to an emergency dentist. The milk will keep the root viable long enough for the dentist to determine if it can be put back in place.
Be Aware of Head Injuries
If your child was hit hard enough in the head to knock a tooth out, break a tooth or cause severe bleeding, chances are, they were hit hard enough to cause a potential concussion. Always have head injuries checked out by a medical professional and pay attention for any signs of a concussion for the days following the injury.
A good mouth-guard can only do so much. Yes, it will help to avoid this type of injury, but there may still be instances in which the hit is too hard for even the mouth-guard to prevent the blood from flowing. Talk with your dentist to learn more about handling dental emergencies.
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