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What Happens When You Have a Dental Injury at School?

Kids are prone to dental injuries and accidents as their teeth continue to grow. Old teeth fall out and permanent teeth come in as part of the natural process of development. But just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it feels good. Accidents can still happen! When permanent teeth fall out, that is grounds for a dental emergency at school. This can happen at school during recess or a sports game.

What Happens When You Have a Dental Injury at School?

So, what happens when you have a dental injury at school? How can you give your child the best of care? It is important that you tend to your child right away after a dental injury. Depending on what part of the mouth is injured and the severity of the damage, urgent dental care might be needed. Below, you’ll find some steps you can take to help your child’s school injury before taking them to your local Anaheim dentist.

Find Immediate Solutions

Your child’s school should be able to respond immediately to your child’s tooth injury. If they hurt their gums, they may be offered some ice to reduce swelling and pain while they wait for you to pick them up. When permanent teeth are damaged, it could be grounds for a bigger emergency. The school nurse will likely help your child rinse with warm water to clean out the mouth. If the tooth is broken, chipped, or knocked out, it is important to try to salvage the tooth. Your child might have to hold an ice pack or some gauze in their mouth to stop the bleeding. You can schedule an emergency dental appointment with your local Anaheim dentist as soon as you hear about your child’s injury.

Seek Trauma Care

A dental injury at school can be a very traumatic experience, regardless of the nature or severity of the damage. If your child has gone through a physical accident, it is important to get a full assessment of the situation. Was the affected tooth a baby or adult tooth? Are the gums hurt? It’s important to understand what qualifies as a traumatic dental injury:
  • Broken, chipped, or missing tooth
  • Bleeding gums
  • Cracked teeth and gums
  • Dislodged teeth
  • Excessive blood from teeth
You should take your child to the nearest emergency dentist or urgent care if they have any of the above symptoms. The best course of action is to make an appointment with an endodontist.

Get the Right Treatment

An emergency dentist is specialized in treating immediate dental trauma through a variety of treatments. Depending on the type of injury your child is facing, your child may need something as simple as a filling or as severe as a tooth extraction. Either way, the best way to ensure your child’s health and safety is to take them to the dental specialist right away. Emergency dentists can replace fillings, perform root canals, repair dental devices, replace lost fillings, get rid of abscesses, and deep-clean the teeth. You will never be charged more for an emergency dental visit than a regular dental visit, especially not after your child has just been through a traumatic injury.

Find Proper Emergency Dental Care!

Unfortunately, children get injured a lot. Dealing with developing teeth on the schoolyard can lead to a lot of dental trauma. While school staff members should be equipped to provide immediate assistance in a dental emergency, it is important that you make an appointment for your child to see an emergency specialist ASAP. Stay in touch with our emergency dentist in Anaheim so you know where to go in case your child is faced with a dental injury.