Emergency Dental Care

Kids First Dentistry offers emergency dental care. Here are some guidelines to help you determine whether your child’s injury requires an emergency visit.

• Knocked out baby tooth: Don’t worry about saving the baby tooth; apply a cold compress to the site of the injury and call the office.
• Knocked out permanent tooth: If the tooth is not completely out, gently push it back into the tooth socket. If the tooth is totally out, find it, save it in milk (or saliva if no milk is available), and call the office immediately for an emergency visit.
• Chipped baby tooth: Check to see if the tooth is out of position. If it is, call the office. If the tooth is simply chipped and the child is not in any pain or discomfort, you can call for a regular dental appointment.
• Chipped permanent tooth: If the chipped piece is large, find the piece of tooth if possible, place it in milk, and call the office. If the chip is small and your child is not in any pain or discomfort, you can wait for a regular dental appointment.
• In case of head trauma, watch your child’s behavior to ensure he or she is not disoriented, or has dilated eyes, slurred speech, or vomiting (which may all be signs of concussion). If any of these symptoms exist, go to the emergency room first, and we will treat the teeth after that.
• In case of a laceration (severe cut) around the face area, treat serious cuts or broken facial bones at the emergency room first. Problems with the teeth can be addressed after ER treatment.

If in doubt about whether you need an emergency appointment, call the office at 904.423.1377. In case of a life-threatening emergency or serious head trauma, call 911.