Kids are naturally adventurous and rambunctious, which can sometimes translate to a trip to the emergency room. What happens when they have a dental emergency? Where do you go then? If you are in or near Dumont, New Jersey, we welcome you to bring your little one to Palisades Dental Care.
The primary goal of emergency dentistry for kids is to relieve pain caused by trauma, abscess, or toothache. Our pediatric dentist, Dr. Melissa Alter is trained in dealing with pediatric patients for a variety of dental needs including pain management, tooth extraction, dental infections, and tooth repair. When your child has a dental emergency, we will get them in as soon as possible and keep them calm and comfortable during the procedure.
Toothache: possibly due to food stuck in teeth and can be resolved at home. In some cases, it could be something more serious such as tooth fracture, decay, trauma, and wisdom tooth eruption
Knocked-out tooth: if the affected tooth is a baby tooth, it will not be saved- but if it is a permanent tooth that has been knocked out, the dentist can try to reimplant it. This is usually successful if it’s done within an hour.
Root fracture: depending on the location of the fracture, there are three ways this can be handled: watched, extracted, or repaired.
You can use an ice pack/cool compress to control swelling and be sure to keep your child calm and reassure them that the dentist is trained to handle their situation. If a permanent tooth has been damaged or knocked out, the dentist may be able to save it- but if it is a baby tooth that has been affected, it will not be saved.
Dr. Alter spent several years training specifically on pediatric dentistry, including dental emergencies. She is equipped to handle your child’s dental needs. If you are in or near Dumont and your child needs emergency services, please contact our office as soon as possible.
First and foremost, it’s important that you stay calm, which will help keep your child calm as well. Then, have your child rinse with warm saltwater and call the office for an emergency appointment. We will get you in to see Dr. Alter as soon as possible so that she can fix your child’s tooth.