While we hope that your child never endures a painful dental emergency, in the event of an accident, know that our team at Kids Smile Center in Plano, TX is here to serve you and your family with compassionate and gentle care. We understand that emergencies are incredibly distressing to our patients and their parents or caregivers. If immediate care is necessary, we will make room in our schedule to accommodate your child’s needs.

Common Causes of Dental Trauma

Two phases of a child’s life are common for dental trauma. First, when children are toddlers and begin exploring their surroundings with newfound mobility, their falling or running into sharp edges of furniture can cause knocked out and broken teeth. The second common period of enduring dental trauma is when adolescents participate in contact sports. Beyond these common occurrences, accidental falls or automobile accidents can cause facial and oral trauma as well – at any age.

Knocked Out or Broken Teeth

When a tooth is knocked out or broken, it can produce severe discomfort for children. Severely damaged teeth also require treatment quickly to keep their vital tissues alive. If teeth cannot be saved with restorations and pulpotomies, extraction is necessary to preserve oral health. If your child has a broken or dislodged tooth, we encourage you to call our practice as soon as possible so that we can arrange for treatment. When a tooth is chipped or broken into pieces, try to save them if you can, especially for broken permanent teeth. The pieces may be placed in milk to keep bits of the tooth alive until you can make it to our office.

Toothaches

In most cases, a toothache signifies that a tooth is affected by a deep cavity. The pain associated with tooth decay is related to the cavity encroaching on the root canal, a hollow portion of the tooth that contains nerve endings. If your child has a toothache, we recommend calling us to reserve an appointment with our dentist. In the meantime, we might suggest that your child take an over-the-counter analgesic such as Children’s Motrin or Tylenol. Sometimes cold compresses and rinsing with warm salt water can ease discomfort. A toothache might be treated with a restoration like a filling or crown or an endodontic procedure known as a pulpotomy.