As a loving parent, it is heart-breaking to see your little one writhing in agony because of dental pain or discomfort. Knowing what to do when your child is having a nasty toothache, breaks or loses a tooth while playing outside or around the house, damages their braces, or experiences some other type of dental emergency can help you alleviate their pain and handle the situation properly. 

The following tips can really come in handy when you are faced with a paediatric dental emergency. 

Avoid going into panic mode

It is quite difficult to stay calm when you can see that your child is in pain, but panicking won't help the situation. Instead, it may only terrify your already distraught child. Try to calm the child by reassuring them that things will be okay. Small children tend to trust and look up to their parents and, therefore, find it easy to believe what they are told by their parents even during the most trying times.

Give first aid

Proper first aid can alleviate pain, but also prevent aggravation of the problem. The type of first aid you'll need to administer will depend on the nature of the tooth injury. If you need to relieve toothache, which is common among children, for example, you will have to rinse your child's mouth with warm water, gently brush their teeth to rid of residual food particles and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling of the gums. If you are a first-time parent, it is wise to learn about how you can give first aid to your child when faced with common dental emergencies. 

Call your family dentist

Once you have given basic first aid to your child, the next thing is to get in touch with your family dentist. In emergency situations, you do not need to book an appointment before you can see your dentist, but it is important to call them before arriving so they can prepare what they need to attend to your child. When you are making the call, be ready to inform your dentist on the nature of the children's' dental emergency you are faced with.

Make sure you've got adequate insurance coverage

Because dental accidents can occur anywhere, anytime, you can never tell if you will have the money to pay for paediatric emergency treatment. Therefore, it is best to be financially prepared for such situations. The best way to do this is to ensure your health insurance policy cover includes dental treatment in emergency situations. 

With these easy tips, handling children's dental emergencies properly should be a walk in the park.

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