Emergencies never happen at a good time, but we are here to help you whenever you need us! If your child has a dental emergency, call our office immediately no matter what day or time!
If the emergency happens after-hours, call our office at 914-967-5735 and speak with the operator. The doctor on-call will be contacted promptly and respond to your call within minutes.
TOOTHACHE
OVER-RETAINED TEETH (AKA "SHARK TEETH")
The most common type of dental emergency is a plain old toothache, typically caused by a cavity. Over the counter pain medication can help temporarily but please see your dentist as soon as possible. Complications of delaying treatment can include: pain, swelling, abscess, extraction (for primary teeth), and root canal treatment.
Look out for shark teeth! It is quite common for the erupting permanent tooth to show up behind the primary tooth - leading to two rows of teeth. In most cases, the adult tooth is still able to push out the baby tooth. However, if there is trouble wiggling the baby tooth out, and the child is in pain, the dentist can always help!
CHIPPED / FRACTURED TEETH
GINGIVITIS
Kids are very active and prone to accidents. It is very common for kids to chip a tooth during childhood, and unfortunately even in adolescence. If this should happen, visit your dentist to figure out if any treatment needs to be completed. Significant fractures of primary or adult teeth will require an evaluation to determine of the break extends into the nerve of the tooth, and assess the possibility that the tooth may have been displaced. If the child has a difficult time closing his/her mouth, the child should be seen immediately-that could indicate the tooth has moved and needs to be repositioned. After a thorough evaluation, we will determine the treatment indicated, which may involve the restoration of the tooth. In most cases, if the patient is asymptomatic, no treatment is recommended. We may elect to smooth sharp edges for comfort and continue to monitor.
Gingival health is extremely important! If proper brushing has been ignored, the gums will become red, puffy, sensitive, and bleed upon brushing. This condition is called gingivitis. It is common to confuse these symptoms with a toothache. f this should occur, have our child see the dentist for a thorough cleaning, and maintain good oral hygiene to prevent further complications.
DENTAL TRAUMA (TEETH KNOCKED OUT OR DISPLACED)
Both of these types of injuries need to be evaluated immediately. Permanent teeth that are lost should be recovered if possible and transported either in saliva or milk to the dental office ASAP for re-implantation and stabilization. Primary teeth are typically not re-implanted for fear of damaging the permanent successor, but need to be assessed by the dental health professional to ensure the health and integrity of the surrounding bone and tissue. Displaced teeth (either primary or permanent) also need immediate evaluation to determine if re-positioning is needed. A displaced tooth can prohibit normal closure of the child’s mouth, causing traumatic occlusion. The dentist may need to reposition the “moved tooth” to re-establish normal closure and position.
