What Should you Do if your Child Has a Dental Problem?

Dental problems range in their degree of seriousness.The dentist can re-implant the tooth and save it. Until
The following tips can prove helpful:then, rinse tooth in water (distilled if possible) without
Dental problems in children could be hereditary. Regulartouching tooth root.
brushing and flossing may not be enough to preventYou can try to place tooth back into socket and
serious cavities. Consult your dentist to correct thesecure it with a wet wrap. If this is not possible,
problem while your child is young.preserve tooth in a cup of milk or saliva until you meet
Heredity affects hardness of enamel, size, and shapethe dentist.
of teeth and jaws. Problems may require dentalIf your child feels pain due to a chipped tooth, it
restorations or orthodontic intervention.indicates possible injury or exposure of the tooth
Children now do not always have to wear painfulnerve. Meet with your dentist as soon as possible for
braces and metal wires to correct irregular teeth.evaluation for possible root canal treatment or similar
There are various dental corrective appliancesmeasures to save tooth. Your dentist may treat the
available in plastic. Dentists now advise dentaltooth temporarily and later fix a bonded restoration to
corrections at a young age.make up for the chipped tooth. If there is no pain, set
It is now easy to fill dental cavities. Dentists have morean appointment with your dentist and meet them at
choices for filling teeth. Materials for filling teeth includethe earliest convenient time. The emergency is not as
composite resins rather than the traditionalpressing, but future nerve damage cannot be ruled out
silver-mercury alloy. Composite resins are bonded anduntil the dentist examines the injury even if there is no
hence, fillings do not have the tendency to pop out.immediate pain.
Resins are available in a range of tooth colors.If your child is into sports, ask him to use protective
Dentists prefer using stainless steel and/or plasticmouth guards. These plastic guards protect teeth as
crowns to cover teeth in case of malformation ofwell as the lips, gums, and cheeks. Semi-formable
baby teeth, fracture, or extensive decay. Thismouth guards available at sports shops require boiling
maintains tooth form and position for optimal jawto give a perfect fit. Dentists also make mouth guards
development.with molds that fit in snugly.
If your child is into sports, encourage your child to wearDental emergencies can occur due to severe
mouth guards to help prevent injuries.toothache arising from dental cavities, infections, food
You should schedule regular meetings with your dentiststuck between teeth, and broken fillings. Rinse your
to make your child comfortable with dental visits.child's mouth every hour with warm water. Clean
Practice good dental habits like regular brushing andaffected tooth area with toothbrush and floss
flossing to prevent major dental problems. Also, limitthoroughly. Use toothpick to dislodge any food material
the intake of sugary and sticky foods for your children,stuck in between teeth. Use an ice pack on affected
as these affect dental health immensely.area to relieve pain. Refrain from placing aspirin on
What Should You Do in Case of a Dentalchild's gum, as it could cause aspirin burn. If there is any
Emergency?swelling around eyes or cheeks, place ice pack. Ice
Dental emergencies can occur anytime and hence,packs should only be left in place for ten minutes at a
being prepared beforehand is essential and helpful.time, then removed for ten minutes. Then repeat the
Always keep all contact numbers of your dentist in acycle. Take your child to a dentist immediately.
handy place so that it is easy to contact them in anIf you have small children, keep your home safe and
emergency. Common dental emergencies in childrenfree of furniture with sharp edges and corners as
include chipped teeth due to accident and teethmuch as possible. Toddlers often suffer dental injuries
knocked out or loosened due to trauma.while they are learning to stand. Children sometimes
If a traumatic incident occurs, knocking your child'sinjure their teeth while ramming into water fountains
tooth out or just causing a loosening or mobility,while drinking water. Accidental bumping into each
contact dentist immediately within an hour, if possible.other could cause teeth injuries in children.