Emergencies

Helping you know what to do.

At Leap Kids Dental, we will always strive to provide emergency dental services, however, if an accident occurs after hours, or for major issues such as a blow to the head or jaw, loss of consciousness, blurred vision, dizziness or vomiting, visit your local emergency room as soon as possible.

Types of Dental Emergencies

Broken or Chipped Tooth – Clean the area by rinsing with warm water. Then use a cold compress to prevent any swelling and call our offices as soon as possible to have the tooth evaluated and restored. If you find the broken tooth fragment, place it in cold milk or water and bring it with you to the dental appointment. If the broken tooth is not treated, more serious problems can develop. 

Knocked Out Baby Tooth – Contact your pediatric dentist and we will see you as soon as possible. Do not replant the baby tooth as it could damage the developing permanent tooth. 

Knocked Out Permanent Tooth – If a permanent tooth is knocked out, call us immediately for urgent care. There is a short window of time in which teeth can be replanted and the chances of successfully saving a tooth are much higher when the tooth can be returned to the socket within one hour after the injury. Follow these steps until you can be treated:

1. Avoid touching the root of the tooth and rinse it gently with water to remove dirt.
2. Do not scrub the tooth or remove any tissue that may still be attached.
3. If you can, put the clean tooth back into the socket from where it came to keep it moist. This helps maintain the vitality of the tooth.
4. If your mouth is injured, bloody, or too painful to put the tooth back in its place, wrap it in clean gauze or cloth that has been soaked with either saliva from your mouth or milk. You may also place it in a cup of milk or if milk is not available, place the tooth in a cup of water with a pinch of salt. The goal is to prevent the tooth from drying out.

Learn more about Emergency Dentistry from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry