Pediatric Emergencies
St. Helens, OR
 Pediatric emergencies in dentistry are referred to as any medical emergency concerning your child that requires immediate attention as they can sometimes prove life-threatening. St. Helens Pediatric Dentistry will guide you through all the common pediatric emergencies that you may encounter and how you can effectively manage them until they receive the help required.
Toothache
Toothache is a common finding in young children. You may overlook it as a parent since it isn't a cause for concern most times. However, there are times where toothache, too, can cause a medical emergency. Toothache can occur due to a fractured tooth, adolescent wisdom teeth rupture, and tooth trauma.
Dental Concussion
A dental concussion can injure the pulp (center part of the teeth) and root of the teeth without causing any displacement and excessive mobility. In most cases, the ligaments supporting the teeth sustain damage.
Tooth Intrusion
Tooth intrusion results due to a forceful blow to your child's jaw from an upward or downward direction. This can force the multiple teeth into the jawbone through the socket resulting in fracture.
Tooth Displacement
Tooth displacement, also referred to as tooth extrusion, is a condition in which the tooth is partially out of the socket. In the case of tooth displacement, the tooth is still in contact with the pulp but displaced as such that it can have also caused a jawbone fracture.
Tooth Avulsion
Unlike tooth extraction, tooth avulsion refers to the total knockout of the teeth from the socket. If your child suffers from tooth avulsion, clean the impacted area of any dirt and debris, and not touch the roots.
Crown Fracture
The most common dental injury that your child might face is a crown fracture. In this case, the enamel and the dentine (outer two layers) are damaged, leaving the pulp intact.
Injury to Soft Tissues
An injury to the tongue, gum, or inner cheeks is referred to as soft tissue injury. Such injuries aren't a cause of concern unless there is uncontrollable bleeding.
How Can We Help?
Tooth concussion can cause permanent or temporary discolor of the teeth. If your child's teeth are blackening, it may mean their roots are dying, and they would require root canal therapy.
Tooth intrusion is a serious medical emergency that needs to be checked out immediately. If the tooth hasn't moved into the jaw a lot, we wait for it to descend naturally or perform a root canal to preserve any structure which may not have been damaged.
If your child has tooth displacement that involves their baby teeth, it will heal on its own. However, if it concerns their permanent teeth, it requires immediate attention to prevent any infections and save the teeth by fixing it back into the socket. This takes approximately two weeks to heal.
In the case of tooth avulsion, our dentist will re-implant the avulsed tooth. The procedure's success depends on how fast help was availed and how the teeth were transported (the teeth need to be transported in high moisture content). Once the crown fractures, severity is assessed using digital imaging. Depending on the severity, your child may require dental sealant and pulp treatment. If you suspect your child is suffering from an injury, get in touch with us immediately at (503) 396-4750 or visit St. Helens Pediatric Dentistry. |
