Examples of Dental Emergencies for Children

Posted on 2/20/2019 by Fariba Mutschler

Throughout childhood, especially during toddlerhood, when exploration of their environment begins in earnest, and again when sports can begin to become a part of their lives, dental emergencies can go from being a possibility to reality rather quickly.

In fact, pediatric dental emergencies are fairly common. Studies show that approximately a third of children will have some type of dental trauma before they are adults, and even more have a dental emergency they'll experience before adulthood. Below you'll find some examples of these emergencies and short descriptions of each one.

Common Pediatric Dental Emergencies

•	Toothache: Whether caused by anything from a tooth fracture to a cavity, this type of tooth pain is very common in childhood.
•	Dental Avulsion: When a tooth is knocked out, timing is important. Make sure to contact us immediately for the best chance at implantation, if possible. If after hours, go to the Emergency Room.
•	Dental Intrusion: At times, dental trauma can force the tooth back into the jawbone. Again, call us as soon as possible, or take your child to the ER after hours, as with any true dental emergency.
•	Displacement: Also called "luxation", "lateral displacement" or "extrusion," the tooth is not fully knocked out, but is not sitting in its socket correctly.
•	Crown Fracture: This is a broken tooth and there are different levels of fracture, from minor cracks in the enamel to exposure of the tooth's pulp, which is a dental emergency.
•	Root Fracture: This type of fracture will not be visible to the naked eye. X-rays will be necessary to assess the it's presence or severity.
•	Dental Concussion: Generally, banging or knocking a tooth is not a dental emergency, but it's best to keep an eye on any major discoloration of your child's concussed tooth and call our office.

If any of these happen to your child, make sure to contact our office to determine the next step to successful resolution and the best turnout for your child's dental health.

My daughter was a little nervous to have her dental work done but everyone in the office was super friendly and very reassuring and that helped her nervousness go away. Thanks for the excellent dental experience. ~ Lilyana G.

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Our Dental Blog | Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry - Portland, OR
Dr. Fariba Mutschler & Dr. Mark Mutschler have created this informative blog to help educate the community. If you like an article or the dental blog in general please use the share it button to post to Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
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