A Parent’s Guide To An Emergency Dental Care For Active Kids

Getting involved in active sports is a great way for your children to develop their motor skills. Not only does it teach them the value of sportsmanship, yet it also shows them the importance of camaraderie and teamwork. Although getting hurt as an athlete is part of the process, needing for an emergency dental care isn’t. Conversely, what do you do when such things arise?

Emergency dental care first-aid tips

Remain calm

As a parent, it’s natural to feel worried about your child especially when you see that he’s hurt. However, the best thing that you can do is to remain calm. Stay with your child and reassure him that you’re there to help him. Check his mouth and place a small piece of folded gauze at the injured site. Next, have your child bite down or hold it in place using firm pressure.  Meanwhile, rush to the nearest facility to seek for emergency dental services in Thornhill, Ontario.

Reduce the swelling

Your child’s cheeks will soon start to swell because of the injury. Help him manage the pain by giving your child cool water to drink or asking him to suck on an ice pop. The cold temperature will help numb the area until the dental emergency services are available.

Collect the pieces

If you see any bits and pieces of the tooth lying around, collect all of them immediately while waiting for an emergency dental care. Also, ensure that there isn’t any piece of tooth embedded on your child’s lips, gums, or tongue. Any fragments of the gum and tissue should remain on the tooth if it’s still attached. You shouldn’t also let it dry or be in contact with water for more than 2 seconds.

Never attempt to push it back.

You should never attempt to ram a dislodged tooth back to its original socket. Doing so may infect or even damage the permanent tooth beneath your child’s gums. Even the dentists don’t attempt to reinsert the primary tooth because of the risks involving the socket and the permanent one.

Call your child’s dentist

It’s best to contact your child’s dentist in seeking for dental emergency services. The dentist may need to smoothen any rough or sharp tooth edges to prevent further injuries. He may also need to perform other treatments to help preserve the tooth. A severely injured or loose tooth may need to be removed since it’s no longer possible to realign it.

Recently, most dentists state that at least 13% to 39% of dental injuries happen while playing active sports. Fortunately, there are ways to help treat dental injuries and even prevent it altogether.

Primary protection

Wearing an appropriate helmet

Wearing a helmet is a must for physical activities that involve impact or speed. Some of these sports include speed skating, football, bike riding, and hockey. Ensure that the helmet fits your child’s head correctly. It should also be appropriate for the sport that he’s playing to prevent any need for an emergency dental care.

Putting on mouthguards

Mouthguards not only protect the teeth from injuries; it also helps shield a patient’s tongue, cheeks, and lips from any damage. Most dentists highly recommend a custom-fit mouthguard for an added protection. That’s because it has a better fit compared to the ready-made ones found in sporting goods stores.

An alternative to the custom-fit mouth guard is the “boil-and-bite” type. Only, you must place it in boiling water and wait for it to soften. Your child can bite down on the mouthguard so it molds around his teeth once it has reached the right texture. Ensure that it’s not too hot before you put it in his mouth to prevent any accident.

Keep in mind that any trauma to your child’s mouth can cause severe damage to his oral health. If your little one has any dislodged or fractured tooth, seek for dental emergency services for an immediate treatment.