Pediatric Emergency Dentist – PLEASANTON, CA
Urgent Dental Care When Your Child Is in Need
Main Street Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics of Pleasanton is pleased to provide 24-hour, same-day emergency dental care for children and teens who are suffering from dental injuries. We know it can be frightening to see your child with a chipped, broken, or knocked-out tooth, but you can trust that we are here to deliver the timely care they need. Simply call our office and let us know about the situation. We’ll work quickly to get them in to see one of our board-certified pediatric emergency dentists in Pleasanton who will administer essential care in a safe and comfortable environment.
Why Choose Main Street Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics of Pleasanton for Pediatric Emergency Dentistry?
- Emergency Patients Receive 24-Hour Same-Day Care
- Board-Certified Dentists on Staff
- Sedation Dentistry Available
How We Handle Dental Emergencies
You can expect that once you call our office, our team will determine when you and your child should come in to see one of our dentists. We’ll also offer first-aid tips to keep their smile safe while at home. When arriving, we’ll begin to take photos of your child’s mouth and examine the problem area to determine the severity of the issue. Once we collect our findings, our team will draft a proposed treatment plan to go over with you. When ready, we’ll begin to treat the problem using the latest technologies and most advanced solutions to ensure the health and future of their smile.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
We treat many of the most common dental emergencies (i.e., chipped or cracked teeth, soft tissue lacerations, lost dental crowns and fillings, knocked-out teeth, and more). If you are unsure how to handle your child’s dental injury or want to know more about how we treat certain emergencies, review the information below or give us a call.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
Children are prone to falls and other types of accidents. Preventing dental injuries isn’t always easy or possible but by instilling good oral habits from an early age, there’s a chance they might avoid certain issues that might otherwise lead to serious and complex dental emergencies. Make sure that they:
- Practice good oral hygiene at home by brushing twice each day, flossing at least once before bed, and rinsing (if old enough) with an ADA-approved mouthwash.
- Keep their regular six-month dental checkups and cleanings.
- Eat healthy foods that consist less of sugar and starches and instead contain more vitamins and minerals that are good for the body and mouth.
- Give up bad habits like biting their fingernails and eating ice.
- Never use their teeth to open packages or containers.
- Wear a mouthguard if they play sports or wear a nightguard if they struggle with teeth grinding.
Cost of Treating a Child’s Dental Emergencies
The cost of your child’s dental emergency cannot be determined until a member of our team has the chance to examine their smile. During this visit, various factors such as the severity of the injury, the location, and the type of treatment needed will be compiled to create a cost estimate that you can review. Our team will be here to go over ways to maximize your dental insurance benefits as well as take advantage of other payment options should you not have private insurance to help cover the expenses.
Pediatric Dental Emergency FAQs
Will my child’s toothache go away by itself?
If your child is complaining about a toothache or seems to be experiencing distress when they bite or chew, it’s natural to wonder what’s causing their discomfort and how concerned you should be as their parent. You might assume that their dental throbbing might eventually fade with enough time and patience the way other ailments, like headaches or bruises, usually do.
However, oral issues rarely resolve on their own and tend to gradually worsen over time. That means the longer you wait to schedule an appointment for your little one, the more likely they are to experience progressive throbbing, damage, or disease.
How can I help my child sleep with tooth pain?
Our team in Pleasanton reserves time for same-day emergency visits so that your kid doesn’t usually have to wait long for relief if they’ve developed a sudden or severe toothache. But it’s possible to develop a problem in the evening or over the weekend, outside of normal business hours. That means your child might have to sleep with their discomfort for an evening or two before you can contact us for an appointment.
If their ache seems to be keeping them awake, you can try propping their head up on several pillows to prevent additional blood from pooling behind their tooth, which increases the pressure placed on the sensitive nerves. You might also try giving them the recommended dosage of over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. You can also apply an ice pack to the sore side of their face for about 15 minutes for a temporary, numbing reprieve.
Are knocked-out baby teeth a dental emergency?
Your child’s baby teeth aren’t meant to last forever. Eventually, as they begin to grow their adult teeth, the primary ones fall out to make room. As a result, many parents don’t consider it to be an emergency if their kid accidentally knocks out a baby tooth.
But the truth is that if they lose their baby teeth too soon, it can impact how their permanent teeth erupt. Not only that, but any injuries they sustained might have affected their gums or jawbone, which requires professional intervention to treat. It’s best to contact our team for an appointment so we can take X-rays or other images to help identify the extent of the harm done and provide any necessary services to protect their still-developing smile.
Should knocked-out teeth be placed in water?
If your child has lost a primary or adult tooth, it’s best to try to find it and bring it to your scheduled appointment, as there’s a chance it can be saved. That said, teeth are only viable outside of your kid’s mouth for a short period of time, so you must act quickly and handle them carefully to preserve them.
For instance, once you find your child’s missing pearly white, you should only handle it by the crown, or tooth-shaped portion, to avoid damaging the still-viable cells on the roots. Then rinse it under running water to remove dirt, blood, or other debris, but it’s best to store it in a container with a small amount of your child’s saliva or milk to keep it in good condition until you arrive at our Pleasanton office.
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