 Children are full of energy, always running and jump, but you never know when it might lead to a dental emergency. Dental emergencies are periods of distress for children and their parents,
The two peak risk periods for dental trauma are toddlerhood (18-40 months) when environmental exploration begins and the second being the preadolescent period, when sporting injuries are the most common cause for a dental emergency. Here are some of the most common dental emergencies that children face, and what you can do to help. 1) Toothache A toothache is the most common cause of discomfort in children of all ages and it rarely occurs w Common causes of toothache include tooth fractures, tooth decay, tooth trauma and wisdom tooth eruption. To ease the pain, have your child rinse their mouth with warm water. Use dental floss to remove any food trapped between the teeth. If their mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outside of their mouth and take them to a dentist immediately. Do not apply any medication to the tooth or the sore area unless instructed to by a professional. 2) Chipped or broken teeth. Chipped or broken teeth are cause due to an injury that affected the mouth, usually in sports or other sorts of physical activity. Make sure you save any tooth pieces if there are any. Next, rinse your child's mouth using warm salt water. If there is bleeding, apply gauze to the area for ten minutes or so, until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, lip or near the broken/chipped tooth to keep any swelling down and to relieve pain. 3) Knocked out permanent tooth. In the event that your child's tooth is knocked out of their mouth, retrieve it. Hold it by the crown- part of the tooth that is visible in the mouth. Rinse off the tooth root if you think it's dirty. If possible, try to put the tooth back in its socket, make sure it's facing the right way. If this doesn't work, put the tooth in a small container of milk, or a cup of water with a pinch of salt. In all cases, this requires you to see a dentist as quickly as possible. Knocked out teeth with the highest chances of being saved are those seen by the dentist and returned to their socket within an hour of being knocked out. It would be better to prevent dental emergency by: 1) Scheduling regular visits to the dentist 2) Encouraging your child to wear comfortable mouth guards during sports 3) Childproof your home to prevent falls etc. Most dental injuries occur for toddlers at home, when they're just learning to walk. While childproofing helps, it isn't 100% certain to work. If your child experiences any sort of dental injury, your immediate action should be to take them to a dentist as soon as you can. Waiting for a while before taking any action could just lead to permanent damage.  Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. These teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth, if there are healthy and correctly aligned. However, during their growth, they are misaligned and needed to be removed.
For most people, wisdom teeth aren't visible because they have become impacted under the gingival tissue. An impacted tooth is a tooth enclosed within the soft tissue or the jawbone or only partially break through or erupt through the gum. This impacted wisdom tooth give an opening for bacteria to enter and cause an infection which results in pain, swelling, stiffness of the jaw and general illnesses. When this happens to your tooth, they are prone to tooth decay and gum disease because their hard-to-reach location and awkward positioning makes brushing and flossing difficult. How can you tell if your wisdom tooth requires extraction? Not all wisdom teeth need extraction. If the tooth erupts cleanly through the tissue, without compromising the adjacent tooth, it can be retained in the mouth with little concern as long as you are able to brush, floss and clean it thoroughly. When should you get your wisdom tooth extracted? Extraction is needed if the tooth has partially erupted through the gingival tissue, causing inflammation or infection. In some cases, a soft-tissue grows over the partially erupted tooth, referred to as operculum. If bacteria is trapped under the operculum, an infection called pericoronitis can develop. Pericoronitis is an inflammation of the gums and it is a sign that you need get your wisdom extracted. Symptoms of this infection include:
What should I expect post-surgery? After surgery, the speed of your recovery depends on the degree of difficulty of the extraction. In general, here's what to expect during the first 24 hours.
After 24 hours
If your case is specific, your dentist with tell you what to expect. What are the potential risks or complications following surgery? It's only on a rare occasion that complications rise after surgically removing your wisdom teeth. They are:
 With Halloween just around the corner, the next few everyone is going to eat more teeth, and that increases the risk of dental cavities. However, parents shouldn't worry too much!
Use Halloween as an opportunity to teach kids good dental health habits, including eating sweets in moderation. Here are a few things you can do to ensure a healthy and fun Halloween for you and your kids, so you can have your candy and eat it too. 1) Give out healthier treats. Avoid giving trick or treaters candy that is sour, sticky or chewy as these can lead to damage to tooth's outer layer, enamel. Instead, you could always give out healthy treats, like cereal bars, pretzels or granola bars. Even a plain chocolate bar is better than sour, sticky or hard candies. 2) Eat only when home. Tell you kids not to eat any candy that they get until they reach home. This way, you can sit down with them and explain to them what they can and cannot eat, and why. Check the candies for any ingredients that your kid might be allergic to and to ensure that there are no dangerous items in with their goods. You could also set aside the treats in little Ziploc bags, so as to make small portions of candies. This helps the candies last longer and helps moderate your children's candy consumption. 3) Set a treat time. Your kids will want to binge on the candy as soon as they can, but you'll need to stop them. While candies should be enjoyed, they need to be consumed in moderation. Assign them a certain time that they can dig in, maybe after a meal, or before bed. Make sure they brush their teeth after, though! To avoid overall tooth decay, you need to enforce some basic rules. This can include:
With all this in mind, don't forget to brush, floss and routinely visit your dentist for checkups. Oral health is a major contributor to overall health, so developing food dental hygiene habits will help ensure a long and healthy life for you as well as your teeth.  It's common for someone to break, chip or knock out a tooth after a falling down, eating something hard or getting into a fight. If your tooth is chipped, it's considered a non-emergency dental appointment and smoothed down and filled. However, if your tooth has been knocked out or is badly broken, accompanied by constant bleeding, a dentist appointment is needed immediately. A good dentist will be able to accommodate your emergency. If you aren't able to get to a dentist quickly, you can rinse your mouth with warm water an apply pressure to stop the bleeding. To reduce any swelling, use an icepack. Broken teeth include chipped teeth, fractured teeth, cracked teeth and loosened or knocked out teeth. They are classified into the following:  If you aren't sure if you are having a dental emergency or not, ask yourselves the following questions:
Since a dental emergency can happen at any time and place, the best thing to do is be prepared and not to panic. Always carry a small dental first aid kit with you, especially when you're out playing sports. Your kit should contain the following:
Dental emergencies can easily be avoided by having routine checkups with your dentist to ensure that your mouth and teeth are healthy, strong and free from decay. While playing sports, wearing a mouth guard can help prevent teeth from being chipped, knocked out or broken. Avoid chewing on ice and hard foods that may break or fracture your teeth. If you plan on travelling out of the country on an extended vacation, where you might not have ready access to dental care, it is necessary that you see your dentist for a routine checkup before you go.  The dental world has its own set of procedures that help maintain your teeth. There are the ones that you have to take to solve a serious problem in your mouth, and there those that will help keep your teeth awesome.
These three dental treatments keep your teeth awesome and are something you should ask your dentist about. Periodontal Exam A periodontal exam is something you can get done once a year at least. A periodontal exam consists of the dentist running a thorough probe through each tooth. He will measure the tooth, check its health, take a look at the gums and support tissue, and keep an eye out for any decay or infections. The probe is done by using a narrow instrument that has measurements in millimeters. The dentist will measure the depth of pockets around your tooth. These pocket depths will help him determine if you are suffering from a periodontal disease. You have probably heard of gingivitis and periodontitis. They are periodontal diseases that affect the tissues surrounding your teeth. Usually, anything deeper than 2-3 millimeters is a cause of concern. Additionally, the dentist will check for any gum bleeding and swelling. Dental Sealant Dental sealant is for everybody and not just children. It is a protective barrier that stops bacteria from growing in the pit, groves and crevices of teeth. It is an effective way to stop cavities before they even start. Sealants put on children wear off by the time they reach adulthood. Once you are an adult, you have only one set of teeth that won't re-grow if it falls off. By stopping bacteria and preventing cavities, you effectively lower the chances of being affected by tooth decay. In terms of costs, a sealant is a much better option compared to fillings (which is added once you're affected by a cavity). On an average, a sealant will last for ten years, so you should get this procedure done every decade. Teeth Whitening By the time you are an adult, your teeth may have lost their whiteness and may now carry a yellow or brown tinge. With the different types of food and drinks we consume, teeth discoloration is bound to happen. Teeth whitening get rids of that color tinge and adds the white dazzle back in your smile. You have quite a few options when it comes to teeth whitening. - Whitening Strips, Gels and Pastes There are many whitening strips, gels and pastes that contain peroxide, a bleach agent. A quick rub of the gel or paste will give your teeth a quick shine. - In-Office Whitening The fastest and most effective way to get your teeth looking shinny and brand new is through in-office whitening. It requires a visit to the dentist who uses a high concentration bleach agent and heat to whiten the teeth. These dental treatments are not to be done regularly, but they can add more value to your regular dental checkup. They are relatively simple, pain free and in the long run, keep your teeth awesome. |
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Dr. Alexander Yeh and Dr. Iyad Al-Qishawi are registered general dentists. They graduated in the same class at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Dentistry. Archives
July 2016
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