You want the very best for your kids. Part of that desire includes making sure they're happy and healthy. You know when to seek emergency medical care for your kids when they're sick or injured. However, it's not always easy to know what to do when your kids are in the middle of a dental emergency, especially when those emergencies occur after normal business hours. If your child is facing a dental problem after-hours, it's up to you to decide whether it's a true dental emergency, or not. Here's a way to determine if your child has a dental emergency.

Your Child has Chipped a Tooth

If your child has chipped their tooth, but there's no blood, and no signs of injuries to their mouth, it's probably not a true dental emergency. Check to make sure there are no tooth fragments remaining in your child's mouth, and then wait until normal business hours to contact your dentist. However, if your child's mouth is bleeding, or the tooth has broken all the way down to the gum line, you should try to arrange emergency dental care.

Your Child has Lost a Teeth

If your child has lost a baby tooth that was loose, it won't require emergency dental care, even if it's bleeding. It's normal for the gums to bleed when baby teeth fall out. However, if your child lost a tooth due to an injury, you will need to seek emergency dental care, whether you can find the missing tooth, or not. The dentist will need to clean out the wound and remove any particles that might have been left in the tooth socket. If you can locate the missing tooth, carefully clean it off, place it in a bowl of milk, and bring it with you to the dentist. If the root is still intact, the dentist may be able to save the tooth.

Your Child has a Toothache

If your child has a toothache, try to soothe it with over-the-counter pain medication. You can also try applying warm or cold compresses to your child's face. The compresses may relief the discomfort, and reduce some of the swelling. If the pain becomes so severe that your child can't sleep, or it's not alleviated by over-the-counter medication, you should contact a dentist that provides care for after-hours emergencies.

Your Child has an Abscessed Tooth

Cavities and dental infections can often cause abscesses to form on the gums. In most case, you can soothe them with over-the-counter pain medication, warm compresses, and salt water rinses. However, some abscesses can become so big that they cut off the airways inside the throat. If the abscess on your child's gums is making it difficult for them to breathe or swallow, you need to call 911, and seek emergency treatment immediately.

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