EmergencyCedar Park, TX

Toothaches

First, thoroughly rinse your child’s mouth with warm water. Use dental floss to remove any lodged food. If your child’s mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outside of your child’s mouth or cheek. Never put aspirin or any other painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth because it may burn the gum tissue. See Dr. Naik or your pediatric dentist as soon as possible.

Chipped or broken teeth

Save any pieces. Rinse your child’s mouth using warm water; rinse any broken pieces. If there's bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip near the broken/chipped tooth to keep any swelling down and relieve pain. See Dr. Naik as soon as possible.

Knocked-out tooth

Retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown (the part that is usually exposed in the mouth), and rinse off the tooth root with water if it's dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible, try to put the tooth back in place. Make sure it's facing the right way. Never force it into the socket. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, put the tooth in a small container of milk (or a cup of water that contains a pinch of table salt, if milk is not available) or a product containing cell growth medium, such as Save-a-Tooth. In all cases, see Dr. Naik as quickly as possible. Knocked out teeth with the highest chances of being saved are those seen by Dr. Naik and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out.

Objects caught between teeth

First, try using dental floss to very gently and carefully remove the object from your child’s mouth. If you can't get the object out, see your dentist. Never use a pin or other sharp object to poke at the stuck object.

Lost filling

As a temporary measure, stick a piece of sugarless gum into the cavity (sugar-filled gum will cause pain) or use an over-the-counter dental cement. See Dr. Naik as soon as possible.

Broken braces and wires

If a wire breaks or sticks out of a bracket or band and is poking your child’s cheek, tongue, or gum, try using the eraser end of a pencil to push the wire into a more comfortable position. If you can't reposition the wire, cover the end with a small cotton ball, or piece of gauze until you can get to Dr. Naik's office. Never cut the wire, as your child could end up swallowing it or breathing it into their lungs.