Taking a young child to the dentist doesn't tend to rank as a fun way to pass some time. Young children can be quite resistant to dental examinations and that can make the experience quite stressful for parents. However, there are situations when your child should see a dentist regardless of whether their routine check-up is due or not. The enamel on milk teeth is not as strong as the enamel on adult teeth, so children's teeth can be damaged quite easily. Some oral health problems can safely be dealt with by making a routine appointment, while others are best dealt with straight away and require an emergency dental appointment. Here are three scenarios that should be dealt with as an emergency.

Your Child Has A Cracked Tooth

It's not uncommon for rambunctious children to end up with a cracked milk tooth. It may be tempting to leave it until their next check-up, but a cracked tooth needs to be sealed right away to prevent bacteria entering the soft tooth pulp. Left untreated, a cracked tooth can become infected, which will cause your child significant pain and bacterial infections can also spread into surrounding areas.

Your Child Loses A Tooth

A tooth can be knocked out during play or as a result of a fall at the park or an accident on a trike or bike. Again, you may wonder if you really need to take your child to see a dentist right away because it's only a milk tooth and they will eventually fall out anyway. However, if you're able to get to a dentist right away with the tooth, they may be able to reinsert it into the tooth socket and this can allow the tooth root to fuse with the bone. Reinserting a tooth can help prevent infection and also ensure that your child's remaining teeth do not move out of alignment. If that happens, it can lead to problems with their bite and alter the final position of their adult teeth when they grow in.

Your Child Has An Oral Infection

Signs of an oral infection include swelling, redness along the gum line, toothache, jaw pain, loss of appetite and, in some cases, visible pockets of pus on the gums. Oral infections can develop in children for a number of reasons including as a result of plaque build-up and cracks in the enamel that have gone unnoticed. The quicker an oral infection is treated the better, as bacterial infections tend to be easier to eradicate with prompt treatment and there's less chance of the infection spreading when treated as soon as symptoms appear. Additionally, severe infections can lead to tooth loss. Your child will likely require antibiotics to clear the infection and your dentist will clean out ay pockets of pus to encourage healing.

If your child is experiencing any of the above or complaining of tooth or mouth pain, contact your local emergency dentist for guidance. An emergency dentist can provide further information.

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