Your child has lost a tooth, and now you’re wondering what to do. Do you need to call for an appointment for pediatric dentistry in Shoreline? Do you need to see an emergency dentist?
The exact answer is going to depend on when and how the tooth fell out. Here’s what to do whether it’s fallen out naturally or it’s been dislodged due to an accident.
When Teeth Fall Out Naturally
Baby teeth will fall out. The adult teeth break through and they push the baby teeth out of the way. If your child’s tooth has fallen out on its own, there’s nothing you need to do. There’s no real need to go for pediatric dentistry in Shoreline unless there is some excessive bleeding or damage.
Sometimes, you may need to help the tooth come out. As long as it comes out clean and it has been because it’s ready to come out (maybe it’s just not quite coming out because the adult teeth are pushing through a little wrong) then there’s usually no need to see a dentist.
Pediatric Dentistry in Shoreline for Trauma
If your child has had an accident, you will need to see a dentist. The trauma could have been falling off a bike, a sport injury, or even something more serious. Whatever it is, the tooth (or teeth) wasn’t ready to come out. A dentist will need to take a look at the damage that has been done.
In some cases, part of the tooth may still be in the gumline. Your dentist will need to extract that. If it was a baby tooth, you’ll usually find that the dentist will just want you to wait for the adult teeth to come through. If it was an adult tooth, dentures are going to be needed to fill the gap.
Chips, Cracks, and Blackened Teeth
Your child may have eaten a hard candy and cracked a tooth. Maybe they fell and instead of the tooth falling out, it just blackened. You’ll want to seek pediatric dentistry in Shoreline as soon as possible for this. There is trauma to the mouth even if the whole tooth hasn’t come out.
When it comes to chips and cracks, the dentist may need to fill the holes. Or they make need to extract the whole tooth due to the way it’s cracked. In some cases, it could be just filed down to avoid sharp points damaging the tongue or lips and left. It’s going to depend on the severity of the problem.
When it’s a blackened or grey tooth, it means the nerve has been killed or damaged. The dentist is going to need to look at the extent of the damage. In some cases, the tooth is just left to fall out by itself, especially if there’s no damage to the gum. In other cases, it may need to be removed.
When your child loses a tooth, it’s not always a need to seek pediatric dentistry in Shoreline. It’s going to depend on how the tooth was lost and which tooth it is.
