Dental Emergencies
If your child has a headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, or seizure after a trauma, please take them directly to the emergency room for a full evaluation. Dental treatments can wait!
If this is a medical emergency please call 911.
If your child has a dental injury (for example, a chipped, fractured, loosened, or knocked-out tooth or a toothache), please contact our pediatric dental office during regular office hours when possible. If outside our office hours, call our office to find out how to best reach Dr. Sheh, a pediatric emergency dentist in East Cobb, who will return your call as soon as possible. Some injuries may require immediate care while others may be seen on the next regular office day. Following are examples of common dental injuries in children.
A Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth:
If your child knocks out a permanent tooth, time is especially important. Hold the tooth by the crown part (do not touch the root) and rinse the tooth gently in the water; do not wipe. Place the tooth in tooth saver solution if you have it readily available. Otherwise, place the tooth back in the tooth socket as best you can. If you are unable to do that place the tooth in milk (if available) and call Dr. Sheh immediately. The tooth may be able to be replanted. After the tooth is put back in the mouth in the proper position, a temporary splint is often applied for 7-10 days, and the tooth may require a root canal within 7-14 days. If too much time has passed since the tooth was knocked out of the mouth, replantation may no longer be possible or recommended. Wearing a good mouthguard when playing contact sports is highly encouraged. A mouthguard reduces the chances of your child suffering trauma directly to their teeth and potentially losing one.
A Knocked-Out Baby Tooth:
Never put a knocked-out baby tooth back into the socket. Call our office and schedule an emergency dental exam in Marietta.
Chipped Baby Tooth:
Encourage your child to avoid eating in that area and call our office to schedule an appointment. Keep the area clean and keep your child on a soft food diet until you see the dentist.
Chipped/Fractured Permanent Tooth:
Call our children's dental office immediately. Depending on the extent of a tooth fracture, immediate treatment might be necessary. If you still have the fractured piece of the tooth, keep it in milk or water and bring it to the office. Early treatment of fractured permanent teeth can help prevent infection or extensive treatment in the future.
Toothache:
If your child has a toothache, please call the office to set up an appointment with Dr. Sheh. To help manage the pain at home, your child can take over-the-counter pain medication such as children’s ibuprofen. Please contact your child's pediatrician if you have any questions about proper pain medication dosage for your child or if you are unsure. You can also apply a cold compress to the area of pain. DO NOT place a hot compress or aspirin in the area. Aspirin can burn the gum tissue and cause ulceration and further discomfort.
Dental Abscess:
If a baby tooth is not treated in a timely manner for a cavity or if the baby tooth has a previous history of trauma, it can get infected. In many situations, a dental abscess (pimple-like swelling) can appear near the tooth in question. Please call our office if your child develops an abscess to schedule an appointment for dental evaluation and treatment in Sandy Springs.
Facial Swelling/ Cellulitis:
A child presenting with facial swelling or facial cellulitis secondary to a dental infection should receive prompt attention. When your child has a dental infection or if the cavities go untreated, the infection can enter the bloodstream and quickly spread through the body. This is a true emergency and your child should be treated in the nearest children’s hospital. In most cases, IV antibiotics are initially administered to control the infection after which the infected tooth/teeth will be extracted. Please call our pediatric dental office if you need guidance.
Cut Lip or Cheek:
Apply pressure to the area using a piece of gauze for 10-15 minutes and place a cold compress on the injured area. If the bleeding does not stop after 15 minutes, contact our office or go to the emergency room immediately.
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