Emergency Kid’s Dentistry – Duncanville, TX

How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies

Whether your child is dealing with a toothache or some type of dental injury, the best thing to do is try to remain calm and give our dental office a call right away. Our team will walk you through how to handle the situation over the phone and schedule an appointment to see you as soon as possible. If you’re unable to head straight to our dental office for any reason, be sure to follow these first-aid tips:

My Child Has a Toothache

Start by cleaning the affected tooth thoroughly. Have your child rinse with warm water and/or use dental floss to dislodge any food or foreign object that’s causing discomfort. If pain persists, contact our dental office. DO NOT place aspirin on the gum tissue or aching tooth. If your child’s face swells, apply cold compresses and call our dental office immediately.

My Child Chipped/Broke a Permanent Tooth

Have them rinse their mouth with warm water to clean the area and try to recover as much of the tooth that you can, placing the pieces in a safe container. If the remaining tooth is causing irritation within the mouth, you can cover it with a piece of sugarless gum or some dental wax.

My Child Knocked Out a Baby Tooth

Use gentle pressure and a tissue to control any bleeding, and have your child take an OTC medication for pain. You should still give us a call in this situation so we can examine your child’s mouth and make sure they haven’t sustained any damage to their surrounding teeth.

My Child Knocked-Out a Permanent Tooth

First, locate the tooth. Pick it up by the crown and not the root. DO NOT clean or handle the tooth too much, although you may rinse it if necessary. If the tooth isn’t fractured, try to reinsert it. Have your child bite down on gauze to hold the tooth in place. If you can’t reinsert the tooth, place it in a cup with milk or your child’s saliva. Contact our dental office IMMEDIATELY! Time is crucial to saving a tooth.

My Child Lost a Filling

Tell your child to not chew with the tooth until we have a chance to see them. Call our dental office to make an appointment as soon as possible.

My Child has a Cut or Bitten Tongue, Lip, or Cheek

Put ice on the affected area and apply firm but gentle pressure with a soft cloth or gauze to stop any bleeding. If pressure doesn’t control the blood flow or if bleeding doesn’t stop after 15 minutes, contact our dental office or take your child to the nearest hospital emergency room.

How to Help Your Child Prevent Dental Emergencies

• Is your child an athlete? Make sure their smile stays safe every time they play by having them wear a mouthguard.
• Don’t let your child chew on hard items like ice, popcorn kernels, rock candies, etc.
• Is your child struggling to open something? Make sure they don’t use their teeth!
• Ensure that your child keeps up with their oral hygiene and dental checkups. By prioritizing preventive care, you can stop small issues from developing into emergency situations later down the road.

Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry

Because there are so many different types and severities of dental emergencies, there is no set price for urgent dental care. Our treatment recommendations will be based on what will get a child out of pain the fastest, and then we can address any damage to the teeth themselves. To help parents with an unexpected dental expense, our dental office is happy to accept insurance (including Medicaid), and we also offer low-interest financing plans.

Your Child’s Dental Emergency is Unique

Visiting a dentist for an emergency is actually more affordable than you’d think. When you bring your child in to treat their urgent dental issue, one of our pediatric dentists will assess their needs and determine which treatment will best resolve their dental emergency. Until we know what treatment needs to be completed, we won’t be able to confirm the exact cost of your child’s emergency care. With that said, the most common treatments we perform that work to address problems related to dental emergencies include the following:

• Dental crowns
• Space maintainers
• Pulp therapy
• Tooth removal

No matter what treatment your child needs, we’ll always explain our findings in great detail so you know what your costs will be beforehand.

How to Save Money on Emergency Dental Costs

It’s true that you can’t predict 100% of all dental emergencies, especially when they are happening to someone else like your child. However, our dentists believe that most dental emergencies are in fact preventable considering they usually occur due to unchecked infections, decay, and damage. By staying on top of regular dental appointments and keeping up with at-home brushing and flossing, you could save a lot of money on future emergency visits.

The moment your child tells you about a problem related to their smile or you feel that something is not quite right, give us a call right away. Putting off care for them will only increase the chances of them needing more expensive treatment later.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

In most cases, the majority of dental insurance plans offer some level of coverage for emergencies. However, this is usually reserved for yearly emergency exams, which are often covered 100%. Additionally, services that do receive coverage only do so partially. For example, pulp therapy and tooth removal are covered anywhere between 80% and 50%, but this varies depending on the plan. Keep in mind that yearly maximums can also come into effect, so remember to confirm your benefits with your insurance company before committing to any particular treatment.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

Even if you don’t have dental insurance, that doesn’t mean you should put off care, especially when it’s for your child. We recognize that paying for care can be difficult on a family budget, which is why we also offer CareCredit financing to make it easier to cover monthly installments on dental treatments. In many cases, these payment plans come with little to zero interest attached, making them even easier to afford. We also accept some HMOs if you have one to use and Medicaid for those in lower income brackets.

Barefield Pediatric Dentistry is always prepared to assist patients and their parents when a dental emergency strikes. No one should have to navigate the costs of dental care alone, so don’t wait to give us a call to treat your child’s dental emergency and figure out a payment plan that fits into your budget.