As a parent, it can be scary when your child has tooth pain or a dental injury. We are here to help - just give us a call and visit us at Weldon Dental of Rome. Dr. Leigh Weldon is a top-tier board certified pediatric dentist and offers excellent emergency care. Working with her team, she’ll get your child’s smile back on track. To learn more, read below or call us today!
You or your child may feel nervous if they’ve never had urgent oral care. We’ve listed a quick rundown of how it works and some things to expect from a pediatric emergency dental visit:
For any concerns regarding a possible head injury, concussion, or jaw fracture, please proceed to the emergency department. This type of injury can become life threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
Naturally, preventing a dental emergency is better than managing one (the former scenario involves much less time and money). Given this fact, teach your child good oral health habits early. Taking the right precautions makes them less likely to have urgent oral issues. In particular, make sure your kids:
A solid oral hygiene regimen is crucial when it comes to maintaining a healthy, happy smile. That said, your child’s toothbrush and floss cannot remove built-up plaque and tartar, which is one of the many reasons it’s so important that they come to our Rome dental office every six months for a dental checkup and teeth cleaning. In addition to cleaning their teeth, we will check for oral health problems, like cavities, and intervene with the necessary restorative care right away if we find anything concerning.
There are three basic steps to every solid oral hygiene regimen: brush, floss, and rinse. However, completing each of these tasks correctly is just as important. In addition to brushing twice a day (for a full two minutes each time), your child should floss daily, and they should rinse with a fluoridated mouthwash once they hit the teenage years. We also recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush; hard-bristled ones can damage their enamel and irritate their gums!
As you know, sugar is one of the leading causes of cavities. Also, as you know, children love sugar. So, that creates a bit of a predicament! We recommend doing your best to provide your little one with a well-balanced diet that’s filled with foods like plain yogurt, fresh vegetables, scrambled eggs, and oatmeal. When they want something sweet, opt for fruit so they get some essential vitamins and nutrients in the process.
Whether your child is involved in a sport at school or they like playing soccer, frisbee, or pickleball with their friends after class, it’s important that they wear a mouthguard. After all, if their teeth aren’t protected in the event of a bad fall or rogue ball, they could break! The good news is that we can have a custom mouthguard made to help prevent that from happening, saving them from a dental emergency in the process.
When people think of bad habits that can harm their smiles, they often think of smoking. However, that’s just one of many habits that can wreak havoc on your child’s teeth and gums. Biting their nails, chewing on the back of their pencil, and opening packaging with their teeth are just a few other examples that could lead to a chipped, cracked, or fractured tooth. So, do your best to break bad habits like these when you first notice them.
It’s common for parents to assume that any pain – including dental pain – warrants a visit to the ER. Since hospitals don’t typically have dentists on staff, however, you shouldn’t bring them there for toothaches, loose restorations, and other dental emergencies. Instead, you should reserve visits to the ER for times when your child is experiencing potentially life-threatening symptoms, like extreme facial swelling, severe bleeding, and trouble breathing.
When your child brings any abnormal dental symptoms to your attention, like pain, it’s important to get a little more information so you can determine what the next best steps are. For example, is their discomfort dull and consistent or sharp and stabbing? If they describe a persistent, throbbing pain, then there’s a chance that an infection has developed, which warrants an immediate call to our Rome dental office.
If your child has something stuck between their teeth, you might be tempted to reach for a toothpick. Don’t! The sharp edge can push the debris further into position, wooden pieces can splinter off in their mouth, and the situation can turn deadly if it’s swallowed. That’s why we recommend taking a different approach: using warm saltwater to rinse their mouth before gently flossing between their teeth.
Since baby teeth are meant to come out, you might be wondering if you need to schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist if one falls out sooner than expected. The short answer is “yes,” especially if your child is in pain or their surrounding teeth and gums were damaged in the incident.
Important note: If your child has fractured their jaw or is bleeding uncontrollably, then take them to the ER right away.
If your child’s emergency exam isn’t until the morning, don’t worry – there are a few ways you can help alleviate their discomfort in the meantime so they can sleep soundly. That includes sticking to soft foods at dinner, using a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time, and taking OTC pain medication for children about 30 minutes before bed.
No, chipped teeth do not heal. To prevent the tooth from breaking further or an infection from developing, we strongly recommend reaching out to us to schedule an appointment for your child before the end of the week (or sooner if they are in pain).
Unfortunately, toothaches don’t go away on their own. In fact, if abnormal dental symptoms like dental pain are ignored, it’s very likely that the root of the problem will progress. There may even come a time when your child’s tooth can no longer be saved! So, don’t postpone scheduling an appointment with us.
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Weldon Dental of Rome can be found along Martha Berry Blvd NE, near the intersection of N 5th Ave and W 11th Street. We’re only minutes away from the Publix Super Market at Charles High Square, Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, and Heritage Park. If you see Divine Salon & Spa or The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy, you’re in the right place! We can’t wait to welcome you in soon and help you get started on a brighter, healthier smile.
