Emergency Pediatric Dentist — Fort Washington, PA

Urgent Oral Care for Your Child

A young girl about to get emergency dental care

Sadly, kids can (and often do) have their own dental emergencies. These incidents will threaten their oral health if left unchecked. That said, have your child visit us for urgent oral care. Dr. Gardner and her team are well-equipped for emergency pediatric dentistry. With their help, your younger can avoid the hassle of an ER visit. We’ll happily tell you more if you’d like. To that end, just keep reading or call us for the details.

Why Choose Us for Children’s Emergency Dental Care?

  • Timely Emergency Visits
  • A Board-Certified Pediatric Dental Specialist
  • Happy to Serve Special Needs Children

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

A young boy pointing out his toothache to a dentist

There’s a chance your child hasn’t had urgent oral care before. Still, you needn’t worry about the matter; our office will give you a rundown of how it works. So, here are some things to expect from a pediatric dental emergency visit:

  • A Fast Appointment – Once you’ve called us, our team will book your child for the earliest available timeslot. They’ll even provide you with first-aid tips over the phone. That way, you can manage the problem during the wait.
  • An Emergency Exam – Right when your kiddo reaches us, Dr. Gardner will perform an emergency oral exam. Doing so lets her learn the source and extent of your problem. At the same time, this step confirms how best to relieve your child’s pain.
  • A Review of Findings – Following the exam, Dr. Gardner will share her preliminary findings with you. She’ll then suggest potential procedures for your child. Given your feedback, our team will draft a proper treatment plan. (The plan outlines the estimated cost and timeline before you commit to anything.)
  • Top-Quality Care – After drafting the treatment plan, Dr. Gardener and her team will quickly solve your youngster’s problem. You can trust their training and experience. Whether your kid needs a filling, crown, or something else, their smile will be fixed effectively. They’ll then get to enjoy their fully-repaired grin.

The Most Common Pediatric Dental Emergencies

However much they vary, some dental emergencies are pretty common. These sorts are the ones that occur more often than the rest. As such, you should contact us when your child faces one – we can easily handle the most common pediatric problems. A kid’s smile will get fixed quickly and safely with our help. So, don’t hesitate to call our office if your child has any of the following:

Understanding the Cost of Pediatric Dental Emergencies 

A piggy bank and tooth model set against a blue background

Even if your child needs urgent oral care, you might fear its price. That’s a fair concern – a treatment that exceeds your budget won’t be helpful. Regardless, though, the cost of pediatric dental emergencies varies by patient. You’ll need to consult Dr. Gardner for a more precise estimate. Once you have, our team will strive to make the care more affordable. We’ll even outline the role of insurance and other payment options.

How to Prevent Pediatric Dental Emergencies

A young girl high-fiving her pediatric dentist

As you’d expect, preventing a dental emergency is better than facing one. The latter scenario involves more time, money, and hassle. Luckily, there are a few ways to avoid such emergencies. Some of the best ones include:

  • Practice Good Oral Hygiene – If you brush twice daily and floss once daily, you’ll prevent plaque buildup. From there, your risk of tooth decay and gum disease will decrease.
  • Avoid Bad Oral Habits – Habits like nail-biting and ice-chewing can chip or break your teeth. So, avoid them as best you can.
  • Wear a Mouthguard – By wearing a mouthguard, you can reduce nighttime teeth grinding. That means your pearly whites will be safer.
  • See Your Dentist Often ­– With regular dental checkups and cleanings, your dentist will prevent mild oral issues from getting worse.
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Toothaches  

Is My Child's Toothache a Dental Emergency? Toothaches don’t always warrant a same-day visit to our pediatric dental office in Fort Washington, but they do always warrant immediate attention. Ask your child a few follow-up questions, including how much pain they are experiencing and when their symptoms started. This will give you insight into how urgent the situation is.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Toothache To alleviate your child’s discomfort in the short-term, provide them with softer foods and place a cold compress against the outside of their cheek for 10 minutes at a time. You also have the option of providing them with a children’s OTC pain reliever – just make sure to follow the instructions on the label.

How We Treat Toothaches in Children If your child’s toothache is the result of a cavity, then the solution will likely be a tooth-colored filling or dental crown. We can also add a fluoride treatment or dental sealants to their treatment plan to help protect their teeth from decay moving forward.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL SEALANTS

LEARN MORE ABOUT FLUORIDE TREATMENT

Cracked Tooth  

Is My Child's Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Absolutely! It’s important that we mention here that it’s not always possible to see dental damage with the naked eye. That’s why we encourage parents to look out for symptoms that are associated with a cracked tooth, like pain when biting down and dental sensitivity.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Cracked Tooth First, call our Fort Washington dental team ASAP for an appointment. In the meantime, make sure your little one doesn’t chew on that side of their mouth and avoid crunchy, sticky, acidic, sugary, and spicy foods entirely. If they are in a lot of pain, you can give them a children’s OTC pain reliever as a short-term solution.

How We Treat Children's Cracked Teeth Oftentimes, a cracked tooth can be restored with a dental crown. Sadly, there are some cases where that’s not possible. If the tooth is severely damaged, then the best thing for your child’s smile may be extracting it.

Chipped Teeth  

Is My Child's Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? We do recommend scheduling an appointment with us, even if the chip seems relatively small. That way, we can make sure the tooth isn’t at risk of developing an infection. Of course, if your child is in pain, then it’s absolutely a dental emergency, and you should contact us ASAP.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Chipped Tooth First, have your child thoroughly rinse their mouth with clean, lukewarm water to remove debris, food particles, and any lingering shards of their tooth. Then, place some dental wax or sugar-free gum over their tooth to protect it from cutting their tongue, lips, or gums.

How We Treat Children's Chipped Teeth That depends on a few key factors, including the location of the tooth. If one of their molars is chipped, then a dental crown may be recommended. If it is one of their front teeth, then dental bonding may be recommended instead.

Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth

Knocked-Out Baby Tooth

Bitten Tongue, Lip, Cheek

Dental Concussion

Sensitive Teeth

Lost Filling or Crown

Something Stuck Between the Teeth