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Home --> Emergency Care
This page can be printed for future reference.
We reserve a specific time every day for emergency care. If your child
needs emergency treatment, please call us as early in the day as possible.
After scheduled office hours, call the office. The emergency answering
machine will give you the voice mail number to page Drs. Weiss and Associates.
There are a few things a parent can do to evaluate the emergency and
make your child more comfortable.
DENTAL EMERGENCIES
The first thing to remember is to stay calm. Injuries to the mouth,
face and teeth happen frequently in children. Remaining calm and taking
prompt action will help minimize the damaging effects of the injury, and
lessen your child's discomfort.
Second, assess whether or not you child's injury involved hitting the
head causing them to lose consciousness even for a brief moment. If this
is the case, your child should see a physician immediately. Worry about
the mouth and teeth later.
Third, try to stop any bleeding with a clean washcloth or gauze. As you
do this, check for broken teeth and/or missing teeth. If there are missing
teeth, look for them.
Broken Tooth:
Gently clean or rinse dirt from the area around the break. Place
a cold compress on the face in the area of the broken took to minimize
lip or facial swelling. If the fracture is more than one-half of the tooth,
see the dentist immediately.
Knocked Out Tooth:
For permanent teeth - Find the tooth. Handle the tooth by the crown,
not root. If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it in cold water, but DO
NOT scrub or handle the root unnecessarily. Try to replace the tooth into
the socket. Have the child hold the tooth in place by closing on a gauze
pad or washcloth. If it is not possible to replace the tooth, place the
tooth in a cup of milk, or if this is not available, cool water. Go to
the dentist immediately. Time is important for saving the tooth, less
than 30 minutes is the best.
For primary (baby) teeth - Teeth are not re-implanted. The tooth fairy
will be at work prematurely.
Toothaches:
Clean the area around the tooth. Rinse the mouth with warm salt water
and use dental floss to remove any trapped food between the teeth. DO
NOT place aspirin on the gums or tooth. This will cause a burn to the
gum tissues. If there is swelling, apply cold to the outside of the face.
Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain. Call the dentist.
Bitten Tongue or Lip or cheek:
If there is bleeding apply gentle pressure with a clean cloth or
gauze. Apply an ice compress to the injured area. If bleeding does not
stop, go to a hospital emergency room.
Possible Broken Jaw:
Do not move the jaw. Stabilize the jaw by tying a towel, necktie,
etc., over the top of the head. Apply cold compresses. Go to an oral surgeon
or hospital emergency room immediately.
Objects Caught between the Teeth:
Try to remove the object with dental floss. You may tie one or two
small knots in the floss to help remove the debris. Do not use a sharp
metal object. If you cannot remove it, go to the dentist.
Bleeding After a Baby Tooth Falls Out:
Fold a gauze pad or clean washcloth over the bleeding area. Keep
it in place for 15 minutes, then repeat as necessary.
Cold or Canker Sores:
Some children will get these periodically. Placing vitamin e oil
over the area, or other over the counter medications will usually give
relief. If they persist or are extreme, see the dentist.
Orthodontic Emergencies:
If there is a loose bracket that is irritating the lips or gums,
attempt to remove the bracket with a tweezers and place it in an envelope.
If there is a loose wire sticking into he cheek, see if you can place
it into the tube in the back of mouth. If you canžt and you cannot get
to the office, cut the end of the wire with a cuticle nipper.
Finally, check to make sure your child's dentist is available for emergencies
ahead of time. Keep his or her phone number handy and make it known to
your baby-sitters, pediatrician, and your child's school nurse. You don't
want to be looking through a phone book during those stressful moments!
Emergency Coverage:
The phone numbers to contact The Center for Pediatric Dental
Care for emergency care is 617-731-KIDS (5437). A voice mail paging service
is available to contact the Doctor on call.
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