As a parent, the most difficult thing is to see your child in pain, especially toddlers, because they can not explain their pain and problems properly.
Dental emergencies are common in children; parents should act immediately and consult an expert dentist to prevent dental complications.
Some dental emergencies in toddlers require immediate action, such as loose or knocked-out teeth, uncontrolled bleeding and swelling; delayed treatment can cause irreversible permanent teeth damage and infection.
An emergency dentist in London manages these situations professionally and calmly.
Common Toddler Tooth Troubles
Baby Teeth Trauma
Accidental falls are common in toddlers. According to research, 10 to 20% of children fall during their early learning walking stage and damage their baby teeth.
Milk tooth injury not only affects primary teeth, but it also has long-term effects on permanent teeth in the form of permanent teeth discoloration, root displacement, and impaction.
Permanent tooth damage depends upon the intensity and type of trauma to the baby teeth. Mild baby teeth trauma, such as concussion and subluxation, in which teeth are not displaced from their place, but they are loose.
It can damage enamel development and calcification of permanent teeth and can cause discolouration and pitting on the permanent teeth crown.
Sometimes this discolouration is not visible, or it is highly noticeable depending upon the stage of teeth development.
Luxation is another type of trauma in which teeth are displaced from their place. Intrusive luxation is the most serious injury, as it moves baby teeth upward in the bone and compresses permanent tooth buds, causing developmental anomalies.
2 to 4 years are the period of permanent tooth development and calcification; any injury to the primary teeth can affect the permanent teeth.
Tooth knockout is another serious dental emergency in toddlers in which a tooth completely comes out of the socket. Don’t panic in such a situation; try to control bleeding by applying a cold compress.
Never try to reimplant a knocked-out baby tooth, as it can hinder the eruption of permanent teeth.
Seek immediate consultation with a renowned dentist in London after toddler tooth trauma and maintain follow-up for at least 3 years.
Severe Toothache
If your child has severe tooth pain, visit the dentist for a professional assessment.
While waiting to see the dentist, you can gently clean the tooth to remove trapped food particles and apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek for 15 minutes on and off to reduce the child's discomfort. Use medicine after the dentist.
Early-stage tooth decay in a baby tooth can be restored with a temporary filling, but if it involves deep tissue pulp, it requires pulpectomy with a crown.
An expert dentist recommends that parents start baby tooth treatment early and maintain regular dental visits after six months. Toddler tooth troubles: clear signs to call an emergency dentist.
Face and Gum Swelling
Face and gum swelling is also a serious tooth trouble in toddlers, but parents need to know the underlying cause and when to call an emergency dentist.
An abscess is a common type of localised swelling around a decayed tooth, often with pain, redness, and difficulty opening the mouth.
Parents should act immediately; otherwise, it can develop into cellulitis and spread to the cheeks, jaw, and neck as the infection spreads.
Facial swelling also appears in a toddler shortly after an accidental fall; it may cause gum bleeding, and a tooth may be loose or chipped.
A cold compress can reduce swelling and bleeding, but professional assessment is necessary.
Some facial swellings are associated with viral infection, especially in toddlers, such as herpes and mumps.
With these swellings, toddlers may experience fever and feel lethargic. Consult the nearest emergency dentist in London immediately to avoid complications.
When parents notice facial swelling, they should watch for associated symptoms, such as whether the swelling is localised or generalised, and any redness, pus, or bleeding.
Does the child have a fever, difficulty breathing, or rub or pull at his ears?
These signs may indicate a viral infection; prompt treatment is important, as untreated infections can lead to more serious long-term complications.
Abscesses are a localised type of swelling around a decayed tooth that involves the gums, jaws, and face. These types of swellings are associated with pus.
Dentists treat abscesses in toddlers’ teeth by draining them and performing pulpectomy or extraction, depending on the tooth's condition.
Uncontrolled Bleeding
An accidental fall can cause bleeding from the gums and teeth in a toddler. It is the most distressing moment for the parents to see their little one’s blood, but don’t panic; handle the situation calmly. Take a deep breath and assess the condition.
Your goal is to control the blood loss and to clear the airway. Sit your child upright, place a clean gauze, and apply firm pressure for 10 minutes.
After controlling the bleeding, assess the source: tears or cuts on the gums, which often bleed after a fall in toddlers because of the rich blood supply in that area.
With proper care, like a cold compress and a soft diet, soft tissue easily heals within 2 to 3 days.
Bitten tongue and lip injuries also cause profound bleeding in a toddler. Blood control is important because deep cuts, such as those more than 2mm, may require stitches or a suture.
An expert emergency dentist can examine the condition and skillfully handle the situation.
Bleeding after a knocked-out tooth is also common in toddlers, which can be controlled with a cold compress, but a dentist visit is important to assess the condition carefully, such as any broken tooth, root, gum tissue, or debris inside the socket, which may cause infection or hindrances in permanent tooth eruption.
Never try to reimplant baby teeth after they've been knocked out of the socket.
Conclusion
Children, especially toddlers, may face different types of injuries that cause toddler teeth trouble, but it’s important to handle the situation calmly, assess the signs, and decide whether to consult an emergency dentist immediately.
Teeth trauma, facial swelling, severe toothache, and uncontrolled bleeding are conditions in which delayed treatment can cause later complications.
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