There is nothing worse than a dental
emergency, especially if it is one of your kids on Little League opening day.
Dental emergencies happen every second of
every day, and even more so once spring sports start, but thankfully, your
dental emergency can usually be taken care of on the spot.
According to a recent study conducted by the
American Dental Association, dental emergencies happen in both individual and
contact sports. Even people who play tennis, surf, or participate in a friendly
game of racquetball could be finding themselves headed to the E.R. or their
dentist’s office.
Your dentist explains that most facial
injuries could have been prevented had the participant worn a custom-made
mouthguard. Any type of mouthguard is fine, but a custom-made mouth guard
offers much better protection. With that being said, accidents do happen, and
according to your dentist, some of the most common ones could have be
prevented.
Almost 50 percent of girls and boys will
suffer from a tooth or mouth related injury during childhood. Mouth injuries
are quite common with mouth and tooth injuries happening after a fall, a fight,
or a sports injury.
In the majority of cases, mouth and tooth
injuries are not serious or life threatening. Your dentist explains that
although in some rare cases serious complications may arise, injuries to the
mouth and teeth could have lasting effects on your sons or your daughter’s
appearance ultimately affecting his or her self-esteem and confidence.
After a mouth or tooth injury, most parents
scratch their heads when it comes to seeking medical attention.
Your dentist
explains that any of the symptoms below could indicate an emergency dental
visit.
- Pain or tenderness in or on a tooth
- Broken, loose, or missing teeth
- Bleeding does not stop after pressure has been applied
- Jaw pain
- Breathing problems or problems with swallowing
- Something stuck on the tongue, cheek, and mouth or in the throat (Never remove)
- Gaping cut on his or her face
- A puncture at the back or your child’s throat
- A lip cut that has crossed over the lip line border into surrounding skin
- Blurred Vision
- Slurred Speech
- Weakness
- Numbness
- High temperature above 100.4 degrees
Other signs of infection from a tooth or
mouth injury could be increasing pain, stiffness or pain in the neck, chest pain
or drooling. If your child cannot open his or her mouth, it’s time to see the
doctor or your dentist.
If you have a dental emergency on your hands and
notice one or more of the signs above, call or click and schedule an emergency
dental visit with your dentist as quickly as possible.
