First-Aid Tips for Kids’ Dental Emergencies

With school over, children are most likely enjoying the summer heat by playing sports outdoors. Doing so, however, can lead to knocked out or cracked teeth, especially if they haven’t been wearing a mouthguard or a helmet while playing. For these dental emergencies, take the following steps first before bringing them to a pediatric dentist for further treatment:

First-Aid for Cracked Tooth

Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water to keep the area clean. Apply a cold compress to the area of injury to avoid swelling and to soothe pain.

First-Aid for Knocked-Out Tooth

If your child knocks out a tooth, be sure that he didn’t sustain a more serious injury. Knocked out baby teeth need not to be moistened, though they should still be brought to a dentist. Permanent teeth, however, need to be kept moist at all times by placing them in a container with a tooth preservation product or milk.

Aid for Toothache

What if your child hasn’t sustained any injury, yet he’s complaining of a toothache? First, rinse his mouth with warm water to clean it, then gently use dental floss to get rid of any food particles that might have been caught between his teeth. Never use aspirin on your child’s tooth or gums for it could only burn the surrounding gum tissue. If the pain remains, immediately consult a pediatric dentist.