Emergency Care

While our team at McKibben Dental does everything we can to give your child a safe oral health experience, dental emergencies are an unfortunate fact of life for some patients. Thankfully, our team of pediatric experts is specially trained in providing emergency dental services just for children.

If your child requires urgent care, you can find your emergency dentist here. We are here to provide the dental care and procedures necessary to prevent further damage and alleviate pain as soon as possible!

What is a Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies are when your child’s mouth or teeth is significantly injured from an accident, infection or another form of dental trauma. If you believe your child is suffering from a dental emergency involving significant pain, damage or injury, call us immediately at 614-575-9530. We will provide the proper next steps, including if we need you to come into the office.

We know that needing emergency dental care can be very stressful and scary for both your child and you, so we are committed to providing a peaceful, calming environment as we perform whatever treatment may be needed.

If we determine that the help of a specialist such as an oral surgeon is needed, we maintain a wide referral network throughout the Columbus area and can quickly connect you with the appropriate oral health professional close by to treat your child.

When Should I Bring My Child in for Emergency Treatment?

When your child is in pain, you want to do everything in your power to help them as soon as possible. At McKibben Dental, we define the following as dental emergencies:

• Severe pain and long-lasting toothache
• A dental filling or crown falling out or sustaining damage
• Intense injury to the lips, tongue or teeth
• Cracked or fractured teeth
• Chipping or breakage to teeth
• Knocked-out teeth (full or partial)

What Should I Do If My Child Gets a Tooth Knocked Out?

Losing a tooth when you weren’t expecting it is a jarring and frightening occurrence–especially if the cause is an injury, trauma or accident. Our empathetic team is prepared to help you and your child through this however we can and provide the treatments needed to prevent further injury and dental problems.

If your child had a baby tooth knocked out, please note that this is not considered a dental emergency. While it definitely is scary and we empathize, baby teeth will naturally come out eventually without causing any issues. 

Do not try to reinsert the knocked-out baby tooth under any circumstance. Instead, apply pressure to the impacted area and have your child bite down on gauze to stop the bleeding. 

If you are concerned that losing this tooth will hurt your child’s mouth, we invite you to schedule an appointment with us by calling 614-575-9530. We will evaluate any potential damage and provide the next steps for any treatment needed.

However, if your child had a permanent adult tooth knocked out, this is considered a dental emergency. If possible, reinsert the tooth back into the socket. If not, put it into a glass of cold, plain white milk as soon as possible and bring it with you to the office.

Take special care to not touch the tooth’s roots, and do not scrub it. We will handle proper cleaning and handling of the knocked-out tooth at our office.

Looking for Emergency Pediatric Dental Care Near You in the Columbus area?

The health, wellness and comfort of young patients is our priority. If your child requires emergency dental care, please call us immediately at 614-575-9530 for further instruction and treatment.