DENTAL TRAUMA

Do you have a dental emergency? Call us immediately (845.476.3777), and we will be sure to get you in! We are always available when you need us the most. If the office is closed you will be forwarded to a call service and a doctor will call you back as soon as possible.

Below are tips on what to do in the most common dental emergency situations:

Toothache

If your child is experiencing a toothache, you can first check to see if they have anything caught in the teeth. Any food or foreign object that may be caught between teeth can be removed with floss. Children’s pain relievers can be given to help alleviate the pain. Contact our office if your child is experiencing a toothache so we can determine the source of the pain and prevent a serious dental infection.

Grey or Black Tooth

Dental Trauma is not always witnessed. Often, teeth that have sustained dental trauma in the past can darken. If your child has a dark tooth, please call us to have your child evaluated.

Broken, Chipped, or Fractured Tooth

If your child has a chipped or broken tooth and you are able to locate the tooth fragment, place it in cold milk and call us immediately. If bleeding has occurred, apply pressure with a cloth and place a cold compress to reduce swelling. Eat or drink foods and liquids at room temperature to avoid causing sensitivity.

Displaced Tooth

Displaced teeth, or teeth pushed out of alignment, should be evaluated soon after an injury has occurred so that we can determine whether it is a primary or a permanent tooth and if it can be repositioned. Contact us immediately in these cases.

Avulsed or Knocked Out Tooth

FOR PRIMARY OR BABY TEETH: Do not try and re-implant the tooth. This can cause injury to the developing adult tooth. You will want to schedule an appointment with our office to evaluate if there are any tooth fragments or other unknown dental injuries.

FOR ADULT TEETH ONLY: ACT QUICKLY AND WISELY so the tooth can be saved in the mouth.

Find the tooth — Hold the tooth by the crown (the part usually visible in the mouth) not by the root (the pointed end).

  • Do not scrub the tooth or place it in disinfectant
  • If the tooth is clean — Hold it by the crown and gently push it back into the socket, making sure that the tooth is in the correct position. This is usually painless if done immediately after the accident.
  • If the tooth is dirty — Do not wipe the root of the tooth. Rinse it in cold milk or water before gently pushing it back into place.
  • Hold the tooth in place — Ask the child to bite on a clean cloth
  • Go to your dentist immediately — If this is not possible, go to your hospital emergency department and ask to be seen by the dentist on duty.

If you cannot put the tooth back in:

  • Place it in a cup of cold milk or if available, Save-A-Tooth (Hanks Balanced Salt Solution)
  • Do not scrub the tooth
  • Do not let the tooth become dry
  • Do not place the tooth in disinfectant
  • Go to your dentist immediately — If this is not possible go to your local hospital emergency department and ask to be seen by the dentist on duty (if available).

Broken Jaw

A blow to the face, head, or neck can be dangerous and even life-threatening. It is important that your child be assessed by a medical professional after such a blow, either at a hospital or at your doctor’s office. If you are worried that your child may have a broken jaw, either because they cannot close or open, or because their bite feels off, place a cold compress on the affected area to reduce swelling and contact our office.