Emergency Dental Care
It is very important to be prepared in case your child has an emergency. Even though we wish that they wouldn’t, emergencies do happen. Being educated and knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between losing and saving a tooth.
In the event of an after hours or weekend emergency please text or call Dr. Stout at (805) 602-0402 (and attach a photo if possible)
If you are not able to reach us, go to the nearest emergency center.
-Avulsed tooth (knocked out)
If a tooth is avulsed, make sure it is a permanent tooth (primary teeth should not be replanted).
Keep the patient calm.
Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (the white part). Avoid touching the root.
If the tooth is dirty, rinse it gently in milk, saline or in the patient’s saliva and encourage the patient/parent to replant the tooth in the original position in the jaw.
Bite on a handkerchief to hold the replanted tooth in position.
If immediate replantation is not possible, place the tooth in a suitable storage medium available at the emergency site. This should be done quickly to avoid dehydration of the root surface. A suitable storage media for avulsed teeth are milk, HBBS, saliva (after spitting into a glass for instance) or saline. Although water is a poor medium, it is better than leaving the tooth to air-dry.
Seek emergency dental treatment immediately.
– A permanent tooth with a fracture that exposes the pulp (bleeding or a red spot can be seen in the center to the remaining tooth) Save the tooth fragment if possible and store in milk, saline or patients saliva
– A tooth pushed out of position that makes it difficult to close or bite
– Toothache keeping a child up at night and/or causing facial swelling
Cavities and Fillings
Dental fillings are used to treat different dental problems like cavities and broken teeth. Teeth are usually filled with a material called composite resin, which is designed to look like natural teeth.
Composite resin takes a little longer, though most people still prefer it because it creates natural-looking teeth. It takes more than one layer, and a special light is used to harden the area around the filling.
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Oral Health Exams
We truly believe that regular dental examinations are important in order for your child to have good dental health and a smile of which he or she can be proud. We start by doing a professional cleaning, removing all of the bad tartar and other buildup on your child’s teeth.
We then do an examination, looking to catch and fix any problems before they become bigger ones. We examine each tooth, looking for any signs of decay, damage, or any other problems, such as signs of infection. We want to correct any problems your child may have before they get any worse.
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Preventative Dentistry
We recommend routine dental cleanings for several reasons. When we perform a professional cleaning, we remove the buildup of plaque and tartar. We also clean the parts of your child’s teeth that are hard to reach, such as underneath the gums.
After a cleaning, we will polish your child’s teeth so that they shine! We can also apply a fluoride treatment, if necessary, to help prevent tooth decay.
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Restorative Dentistry
We are usually able to fill in broken teeth to make them look like normal teeth. We even use a cement that is the color of your child’s teeth.
We can also fix missing teeth and have many options for how we do so. Typically, we like to place implants, which will act like the tooth’s replacement root. On top of the implants, we use crowns, which are artificial teeth, to restore your child’s mouth with normal-sized and shaped teeth.
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Sealants
Dental sealant is a plastic coating painted on your teeth. It attaches to your child’s teeth, smoothing the rough edges, depressions, and grooves that are typically found on teeth. It gives your child’s teeth a protective coating, helping to prevent tooth decay and cavities.
Sealants are usually done on the back teeth since they are hard to reach and very irregular. Even if your child brushes and flosses properly, he or she may miss some areas. For this reason, sealants are a good way to protect your child’s teeth.
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Sedation Dentistry
One of the most commonly used types of sedation is nitrous oxide, which is also known as laughing gas. This helps many children relax during their procedure.
Nitrous oxide is a combination of two different gases–-oxygen and nitrous oxide. We administer the gas through a small mask placed over your child’s nose. The gas will make your child relax without the full effect of anesthesia.
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Topical Fluoride Vanish
We believe that fluoride works well to strengthen children’s teeth. It also has been shown to help prevent tooth decay in people of all ages.
For this reason, the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Medical Association believe that topical fluoride is necessary for good oral health.
Because of this, you may be wondering if your child needs fluoride treatments. Often water is enhanced with fluoride, so additional fluoride treatments are not necessary.
SDF (Silver Diamine Fluoride) is sometimes recommended to arrest small cavities or slow down large cavities. We will review this further if it is recommended.
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