A cracked tooth at the playground, a toothache that keeps your child up, a lip bitten during dinner: dental emergencies rarely come at a convenient moment. Knowing the first few steps, and when to call a dentist, helps you stay steady while your child is upset.
At Hunterdon Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Brian Rooney, a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and Dr. Reem Hemantharaju see children from our Flemington, NJ office. This page covers what to do first, and our dental exams and cleanings help catch problems before they turn urgent.
Start by checking your child overall. If there was a blow to the head, or your child is confused, very drowsy, or having trouble breathing, call 911 or go to an emergency room first, because those problems come before any tooth. HealthyChildren.org, which adapts guidance from the American Dental Association, advises calling 911 if a more serious injury is suspected.
Once your child is stable, call our Flemington office. For most tooth and mouth injuries, HealthyChildren.org advises seeing a dentist as soon as possible, and our team can tell you whether your child should come in or head to an emergency room.
Each situation calls for slightly different first steps. The guidance below follows what HealthyChildren.org recommends, and none of it replaces a call to our office.
Keep the tooth moist at all times, in milk or a tooth preservation product that carries the ADA Seal of Acceptance, and see a dentist right away. Handle it by the crown, not the root. Our page on sports dentistry explains replanting in more detail.
A baby tooth does not need to be kept moist. If you can find it, bring it to the dentist. Guidelines endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advise against putting a baby tooth back in the socket, so do not try to replant it.
Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to the face to reduce swelling. Then see a dentist as soon as possible. If you find a broken piece, bring it with you.
Gently clean the area with water and hold a cold compress against it. HealthyChildren.org advises seeing a dentist or going to an emergency room as soon as possible.
Try gently removing it with dental floss. Never use a sharp or pointed tool, which can injure the gums. If floss does not work, call us rather than keep trying.
Apply a cold compress to control swelling and go to a dentist or hospital emergency room immediately.
If you are unsure which category your child’s problem fits, call us and describe what happened. We would rather hear from you early.
Not every toothache is an emergency, and not every mouth pain is a toothache. According to HealthyChildren.org, teeth coming in, mouth sores, earaches, and sinus infections can all feel like tooth pain, so the source is worth pinning down.
For home care, have your child rinse with warm water and gently floss to remove food stuck between teeth. HealthyChildren.org cautions against placing aspirin on the tooth or gums, because it can burn the gum tissue. If the pain keeps going, call our office.
Some symptoms point to an infection or other problem that should not wait. HealthyChildren.org says swelling in the mouth or on the face needs care from a dentist or medical provider that day. A few other signs to watch for are below.
Call us if you see any of these, even if the problem seems to be getting better.
A little planning makes the first minutes calmer. Many emergencies come from sports and play, so protection matters too.
A small container with a lid, clean gauze, a cold pack, and dental floss cover most of the first steps above. Keep our office number saved in your phone so you are not searching for it when your child is hurt.
Children who play contact or ball sports can wear a mouthguard to help protect their teeth, lips, and jaw. Tell us about your child’s sports at any visit, and we can talk through the right fit.
An injured baby tooth can affect the permanent tooth growing beneath it, which is one reason we want to see these injuries. Our page on the importance of baby teeth explains how baby teeth guide permanent ones into place.
Your child may be frightened, so we start by checking how they are doing and finding out what happened, when it happened, and whether they hit their head. We then examine the area and may take an X-ray to see below the gumline before we recommend treatment.
Bring any tooth or tooth piece you found, a list of your child’s medications and allergies, and your insurance information. If your child is anxious, tell our team, and we can talk about ways to help them feel at ease.
Examples include a knocked-out tooth, a cracked or broken tooth, a bitten lip or tongue, an object stuck between teeth, a jaw injury, and a toothache that does not go away. Swelling in the mouth or face needs care that day.
Handle it by the crown, keep it moist in milk or an ADA-accepted tooth preservation product, and see a dentist right away. Call 911 first if you suspect a more serious injury.
No. Guidelines endorsed by the AAPD advise against replanting baby teeth. Bring the tooth with you if you can find it, and call us so we can check the area.
HealthyChildren.org advises against placing aspirin directly on the tooth or gums because it can burn the tissue. Ask our team or your child’s pediatrician about pain relief that is right for your child.
Rinse the mouth with warm water, apply a cold compress to the face to reduce swelling, and bring any broken piece with you. Then see a dentist as soon as possible.
HealthyChildren.org advises going to a dentist or hospital emergency room right away for a jaw injury, and call 911 for any serious injury.
Dr. Brian Rooney is a board-certified pediatric dentist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry who completed a two-year pediatric dental residency at UCLA, where he served as chief resident. Together with Dr. Reem Hemantharaju, who earned a pediatric dental specialty certificate from Columbia, he welcomes all children and adolescents to our Flemington office, including those with special needs.
If your child has hurt a tooth or has mouth pain that does not settle, call our office and describe what is happening, and we can tell you what to do next. For routine visits and follow-up care, you can reach us through our appointment request form.
