Common Pediatric Dental Emergencies in Laredo, TX

When an accident occurs, or your child begins mentioning that their mouth hurts, it can be hard to tell when you need to make an emergency dentist appointment, when you should make an appointment for a later date, and when you can take care of the problem at home. Below are some common concerns that parents frequently have in regards to dental emergencies, and if you have any questions or concerns or you need to make an emergency pediatric dentist appointment today, please call our front office, and we will be happy to assist.

Call Now

Is a broken baby tooth a dental emergency?

Whether it’s a broken baby tooth or adult tooth, you should give our office a call as soon as possible, especially if your child is in pain or the area is bleeding. When a tooth has a deep crack, or an entire piece breaks off, harmful bacteria can access the inside of the tooth and cause a painful infection, which could require a root canal or even a dental extraction in the future. If the tooth is slightly chipped and it is not accompanied by pain or bleeding, we will want to take a look at it at your child’s next appointment, but it may not necessarily be a dental emergency.

Call Now

What should I do if my child has a toothache?

If your child has just recently begun complaining of a mild toothache, there are a few remedies you can try at home. If they are old enough to rinse and spit, have them swish some warm salt water or hydrogen peroxide around their mouth to relieve the ache or apply garlic paste or clove oil on the tooth. Holding a cold compress to their cheek can also help numb pain. Once they start needing to take pain relievers to relieve the pain, we recommend scheduling an appointment with our team. While toothaches can sometimes wait for a convenient appointment, we will definitely want to examine the tooth to diagnose and treat the problem.

What if my child’s baby tooth is knocked out too early?

This may not seem like a dental emergency, but a mouth injury that causes one or more teeth to fall out is usually a dental emergency. If a baby tooth is knocked out and the adult tooth is not ready to come in yet, the surrounding teeth may start to move over and block the adult tooth from growing in properly. Our team can fit a space maintainer over nearby teeth to hold the space open until the adult tooth is ready to grow in, which can keep avoidable alignment issues from occurring. If an adult tooth is knocked out, carefully pick it up by the crown, put it in a glass of milk, and schedule an emergency dentist appointment right away.