Emergency Pediatric DentistCarlsbad, CA

Understanding Emergency Dental Care

Emergency dental care refers to services and treatments done immediately to reduce pain, bleeding, and other concerning symptoms. As its name suggests, emergency dental care requires immediate action to stop or reduce symptoms before they become worse. In most cases, an emergency dentist will treat a patient right away without an appointment, depending on their case.

An emergency pediatric dentist offers services and treatments designed specifically for children and adolescents. They may also use certain tools and materials that are safe and effective for treating young patients. Generally, emergency pediatric dentists are certified and skilled at performing various treatments and surgeries that commonly occur in children.

Emergency Dental Care or Emergency Room?

Emergency dental care, according to the American Dental Association, “are potentially life threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding (or to) alleviate severe pain or infection.” Urgent dental care includes:

• Severe dental pain from pulpal inflammation
• Pericoronitis or third-molar pain
• Surgical postoperative osteitis or dry socket dressing changes
• Abscess or localized bacterial infection resulting in localized pain and swelling
• Tooth fracture resulting in pain or causing soft tissue trauma
• Dental trauma with avulsion/luxation
• Dental treatment cementation if temporary restoration is lost, broken, or causing gingival irritation

Patients should go straight to the emergency room when an emergency dentist is unavailable or after experiencing trauma to the face or mouth. Emergency dentists are equipped to handle and treat facial trauma, but incidents that cause extensive facial trauma, such as broken bones, puncture wounds, lacerations, or damage to the soft tissues, may require immediate medical attention. Lastly, dental abscesses that cause concerning symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, or diarrhea should also be checked at the emergency room as they may be the result of an infection.

Common Symptoms Indicating Emergency Need

In many cases, dental emergencies are the result of signs or symptoms that have gone unnoticed or untreated. Patients often experience pain when their condition has worsened or is at a point where it requires treatment. Dental emergency symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Cracked or Broken Tooth: If the tooth is broken, use warm water to rinse out mouth; apply a cold compress for swelling
• Knocked-Out Teeth: Do not touch the root, only the crown; try to place it back in the socket; place it between the cheek and gum or a container of milk; use a cold, wet compress for bleeding
• Tooth, Teeth, or Jaw Pain: Pain could be associated with swelling, fever, a sour taste, or difficulty swallowing indicating an infection; an abscessed tooth with pain coming from the tooth’s pulp canal that could require antibiotics, drainage, or root canal
• Bleeding or Aching Gums: Excessive and frequent bleeding along with aching gums is an indicator of periodontal disease that requires treatment to keep gums, teeth, tissue, and bones healthy
• Soft Tissue Injury: Severe bites or cuts to the lip or tongue, clean the area gently with water, apply a cold compress for bleeding; see a medical professional for severe bites or cuts that require stitches

Benefits of Emergency Dental Care

There are a wide variety of benefits that come from emergency dental care. First and foremost, patients enjoy the flexibility and urgency that it provides. In most cases, emergency dentists are available during normal business hours and after-hours and take patients without an appointment. An emergency pediatric dentist proves extremely beneficial as children are more likely to suffer from facial injuries as a result of play and sports.

Other benefits of emergency dentistry include preventing progression, alleviating pain, swelling, and discomfort immediately, salvaging teeth, and additional examination and evaluation. Emergency dental care allows dentists to prevent an oral condition from progressing and causing further damage. They are able to salvage teeth as many emergency situations require immediate treatment and restoration to save one or more teeth. Visiting an emergency dentist for any situation allows the dentist to examine and evaluate the patient’s entire mouth for other undetected conditions while treating the concern at hand.

Finding an Emergency Pediatric Dentist

Just as it is important to have a primary care doctor and dentist, it is highly recommended to have an emergency pediatric dentist for urgent situations that arise. Many pediatric dentists, like ourselves, are also emergency dentists and can provide prompt care without the hassle. When looking for an emergency pediatric dentist to add to a list of healthcare providers, we recommend searching for a few key elements.

It is a good idea to start a search by looking for qualified emergency dentists in the surrounding area as many emergencies arise close to home, school, or nearby parks. Talking to family and friends can also provide good names and allow the parent to assess the way they handled the situation from another parent’s perspective. We highly recommend using the American Association of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD)’s website to search for certified dentists in your area. Lastly, narrow your search and check patient reviews on each to determine the right fit.

Schedule a Visit Today

An emergency pediatric dentist is available at our office. The CarlsbaDDS Pediatric Smiles team looks forward to meeting you and alleviating your symptoms immediately. Call our office at 760-730-3456 to learn more or schedule an appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Emergency Pediatric Dentists

My child is constantly complaining of tooth pain. What should I do?

Toothaches generally signal tooth decay or a problem in the gums or the tooth’s root. Constant pain, discomfort, or sensitivity are common symptoms of these issues. Parents should look out for discoloration, swelling, tender gums, and redness around the tooth. We recommend visiting an emergency dentist as soon as these symptoms are present.

What is the most common dental emergency?

The most common dental emergency is a toothache as it can have many causes. Other common dental emergencies include knocked out, broken, or cracked teeth, loose or missing restorations, and jaw pain. These are all viable reasons for visiting an emergency dentist.

What age range do emergency pediatric dentists accommodate?

In most cases, a pediatric dentist offers services to patients from infanthood to adolescence. Emergency services extend to all patients under their care and others that fall into that age bracket. However, every practice is different and the patients they accommodate will differ.

Do all emergency rooms treat dental emergencies?

In most cases, yes. Emergency room physicians are equipped to treat dental emergencies as they largely affect patients’ general health. However, many conditions may require special dental tools and equipment wherein the physician may refer them back to their primary care dentist for treatment.

What is considered a true dental emergency?

A dental emergency most often refers to conditions that need immediate treatment. These include treatments to stop bleeding, alleviate pain, remove an infection, or save a tooth. If you are unsure if your condition is an emergency, call us to discuss your symptoms.

Do emergency pediatric dentists perform tooth extractions?

Tooth extractions are often the last resort for children with primary teeth. An emergency dentist can perform tooth extractions when the patient’s case is severe and is affecting their other teeth or gums due to total decay or infection. This procedure is usually planned and not done during an emergency visit, but we can look at the tooth in question and provide pain relief until the extraction date.