Emergency pediatric dental care is urgent treatment for a child’s knocked-out, broken or painful tooth. Redondo Beach Dental Group sees children with urgent dental problems at 2511 Artesia Blvd, a short drive from Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
If your child has hurt a tooth or has a toothache that will not settle, call (310) 542-6988 and describe what happened. When you call, we will schedule your child to be seen as soon as possible, and we can also tell you how to care for your child’s teeth until you get here. Existing and new patients are both welcome.
Dental injuries are common in childhood. A recent meta-analysis cited in the 2020 guidelines of the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) reported a worldwide prevalence of 22.7% for injuries to baby teeth.
Go to the ER or Call 911 First If Your Child Has
Some injuries are medical emergencies before they are dental ones. Take your child to the nearest emergency room, or call 911, if there is:
- A blow to the head, or any loss of consciousness, even a brief one
- Swelling that is spreading across the face, under the jaw, toward the eye or down the neck
- Trouble breathing or swallowing, including coughing or gagging after a tooth was knocked out, since the tooth may have been swallowed or inhaled
- Bleeding that does not slow with firm, steady pressure
- A jaw that will not close normally after an impact, which can mean a broken bone
This is general guidance, not a diagnosis. When you are unsure, choose the ER first and call us about the teeth afterward.
What Counts as a Dental Emergency for a Child
For a child, a dental emergency is a problem with the teeth, gums or mouth that should not wait for a routine visit, such as:
- A knocked-out baby tooth or permanent tooth
- A chipped, cracked or broken tooth
- A tooth pushed out of position or loose after a fall
- A severe or lasting toothache, especially one that wakes your child at night
- Gum swelling or a pimple-like bump on the gum, which can point to an infection
- A lost filling or crown that leaves the tooth sore or sharp
A Knocked-Out Tooth: Baby Tooth or Permanent Tooth?
The two are handled in opposite ways. Children usually start losing baby teeth around age 6, so a knocked-out tooth in a younger child is almost always a baby tooth. If you cannot tell which it is, do not try to put it back. Keep the tooth in milk and call us right away.
If a Baby Tooth Is Knocked Out
Do not put a baby tooth back into the socket. The IADT guidelines advise against it because it can damage the permanent tooth growing underneath, and because a child can inhale the tooth, which is a medical emergency. Instead:
- Comfort your child and press clean gauze on the area to slow any bleeding.
- Look for the tooth to make sure it was not swallowed or breathed in. If your child is coughing or having trouble breathing, go to the ER.
- Call us for an exam, and bring the tooth if you found it.
The IADT guidelines call for careful follow-up afterward to monitor how the permanent tooth underneath develops and comes in.
If a Permanent Tooth Is Knocked Out
A knocked-out permanent tooth is one of the few true emergencies in dentistry. The IADT guidelines, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), say the best treatment is to put the tooth back right away at the place of the accident, then see a dentist immediately. The steps they describe are:
- Keep your child calm.
- Pick the tooth up by the crown, the white part you chew with, and avoid touching the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it gently in milk, saline or your child’s saliva. Do not scrub it.
- If you can, place it back in its socket the right way round, then have your child bite on gauze or a clean cloth. Do not force it.
- If you cannot put it back, do not let it dry out. Milk is the best option most homes have, with saliva or saline next.
- See a dentist immediately: call us right away. If you cannot reach us, keep the tooth moist and go to the nearest emergency room.
Replanting gives a permanent tooth its best chance, but it cannot promise that the tooth will survive long term.
First Aid for Other Dental Problems
Chipped or Broken Tooth
Have your child rinse with warm water, keep any broken pieces and hold a cold compress against the cheek if it is swollen. Call us as early as you can, because even a small chip can expose the inner layers of the tooth.
Toothache
Have your child rinse with warm water and gently floss around the sore tooth to clear trapped food. Give pain relief only as your child’s doctor or the label directs, and do not place aspirin against the gum. Call us if the pain lasts or wakes your child at night. Spreading swelling, fever or trouble swallowing means the ER.
Cut or Bitten Lip, Tongue or Cheek
Rinse gently and press clean gauze against the cut. If the bleeding does not slow, or the cut is deep or gaping, go to the ER. Then call us to have the teeth checked.
Lost Filling or Crown
Keep the filling or crown if you can and call us, because the tooth is now open to decay. Depending on how much of the tooth is left, the repair may be one of the fillings for children or dental crowns for children we provide.
Existing and New Patients, Seen as Soon as Possible
Redondo Beach Dental Group welcomes children who are already patients and children who have never been here when they have an urgent dental problem, and we schedule them as soon as possible. When you call, tell us your child’s age, what happened and when, and whether your child has a medical condition or takes medicine. Parents and older teens with a broken tooth or toothache can follow the steps for emergency dental care for adults.
What Emergency Dental Care for a Child Costs
The cost depends on what your child needs: an exam costs less than repairing a broken tooth or treating an infected one. Ask us for an estimate when you call. We accept PPO plans, so ask us how your plan applies; families without insurance can use our in-office plan or payment plans through Cherry, CareCredit and LendingClub.
Helping Prevent Dental Injuries
Many childhood tooth injuries come from falls and sports. A custom sports mouth guard, which the American Dental Association calls an essential piece of athletic gear, protects a child’s teeth in contact sports, and regular dental cleanings and exams for children catch cavities before they turn into a toothache.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered a dental emergency for kids?
A dental emergency for a kid is a knocked-out tooth, a broken or cracked tooth, a tooth pushed out of position, a severe toothache, gum swelling or a lost filling or crown that leaves the tooth sore. A head injury, spreading swelling, trouble breathing or swallowing, or bleeding that will not stop calls for the ER first.
Can I take my child to urgent care for a toothache?
You can take your child to urgent care for a toothache, and it is the right stop for spreading swelling, fever or trouble swallowing. An urgent care clinic can usually check for infection and help with pain but usually cannot treat the tooth, so call a dentist as well.
What should I do if my child needs urgent dental attention?
If your child needs urgent dental attention, first check for the ER signs: a head injury, spreading swelling, trouble breathing or swallowing, or bleeding that will not stop. If none apply, follow the first-aid steps for the problem and call Redondo Beach Dental Group at (310) 542-6988 so your child can be seen as soon as possible.
Do you put a baby tooth back in if it is knocked out?
A knocked-out baby tooth should not be put back in the socket, because the IADT guidelines say it can damage the permanent tooth underneath and a child can inhale it. Look for the tooth, comfort your child and call us for an exam.
What do I do if my child’s permanent tooth is knocked out?
If your child’s permanent tooth is knocked out, the IADT guidelines say to put it back right away, holding it by the crown, and to see a dentist immediately. If you cannot put it back, keep it in milk and call us; if you cannot reach us, go to the nearest emergency room.
Do you see children who are not already patients for urgent problems?
Redondo Beach Dental Group sees children for urgent dental problems whether or not they are already patients, and schedules them as soon as possible. Call (310) 542-6988 and tell us it is your child’s first time with us.
Call Us About Your Child’s Urgent Dental Problem
Redondo Beach Dental Group is at 2511 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278. We are open Monday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For an urgent problem, call (310) 542-6988 rather than using the online form, so we can hear what happened. For a routine visit, you can request an appointment online. A child seen for an urgent problem can stay with us for routine dental care for children. Dr. Moshe Eizdi leads the practice; he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with honors.