You’re starting to panic. Your child has chipped a tooth and you don’t know what to do. Don’t worry—there are plenty of treatment options available to restore the tooth and ease any pain. Your child will eventually lose the tooth and a new, permanent adult tooth will grow in its place, so this little accident will not likely affect your child’s dental health in the long term. Below is an overview of what you should do when your kid cracks his tooth.
Keep Calm
The absolute first thing you must do is remain calm. If you begin panicking, your child will start too, and you don’t want to cause undue stress on your child if he is already frightened or in pain. Reassure him that it’s going to be okay and then immediately call your dentist to make an appointment. You can involve your child in any research you do if you like so he will have a learning experience.
Evaluate the Situation
While you are not a qualified dental professional, you should still do your best to gather information about the situation. For example, determine if your child is in any pain and the extent of damage to the tooth. Being able to describe what happened will help the dental professionals get your child the care he needs quickly.
Don’t Wait to Act
While chipped teeth are common in kids, it is not in your or your child’s best interest to wait to take action. Even if your child is not in pain, waiting to go in can result in additional damage or more costly dental restoration. If your child is terrified of going to the dentist, use this as a learning experience in responsibility and reward him with things he likes to help calm him down. But get them to the dentist, like Schilling farms dental, because dental emergency is a dental emergency and should be treated as such.
Go to an Emergency Dentist
Some regular dentist offices are capable of handling dental emergencies and will be able to fit your child in as soon as possible. In some areas, speciality dental emergency facilities are available. It is probably best to inform your child’s regular dentist of the injury so he or she knows about it, even if you go to an emergency facility. Your regular dentist can also refer you to a quality emergency clinic if necessary.
A dental disaster can be extraordinarily stressful on you and on your child. Fortunately, it is usually a situation that can be resolved without long-term harm due to the impermanent nature of baby teeth. Follow the steps outlined above and you can get your child the care he needs in a timely manner.
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