Dr. Derrick Cantu and Dr. Christi Wengler provide emergency dental care in San Antonio, Texas, to help your child regain their oral health and smile as quickly as possible. Dental emergencies can be very serious and should be treated as soon as possible. If your child sustains an injury or another dental emergency, please call Pediatric Dentistry of San Antonio at 210-680-7841 right away so that we can provide emergency care.
Please Note: If your child has sustained an injury to their head or neck, or you believe the injury may be life-threatening, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room, even if their teeth and mouth are also injured.
Same-Day & After-Hours Emergency Care
We are pleased to offer same-day and after-hours emergency care for your child. If your child has a dental emergency, please call our office immediately and we will accommodate your child’s needs.
Common Dental Emergencies
Common dental emergencies include:
- Persistent toothaches or other oral pain
- Tooth damage, including chipped, broken or cracked teeth
- Fully or partially knocked-out teeth
- Abscesees
- Soft tissue injuries (injury to the gums, tongue, cheeks or lips)
- Lost fillings or crowns
What To Do
In addition to making an emergency appointment for your child, our team will also provide instructions on what you should do until you can bring them in to meet with Dr. Cantu or Dr. Wengler. Below are a few of the instructions our pediatric dentists and team may provide.
For Toothaches or Abscesses
An abscess is an infection that occurs around the root of the tooth or in the space between the teeth and gums. This infection can cause serious damage and may spread or become dangerous if left untreated. You can use anti-inflammatory medicines such as Advil or ibuprofen to help your child feel more comfortable. However, your child does need professional treatment to recover and our pediatric dentists can prescribe antibiotics during their appointment.
For Chipped or Broken Teeth
Save any pieces of the tooth and have your child rinse their mouth with warm water. You should also rinse any broken pieces of the tooth. If there is bleeding apply pressure with a piece of gauze until the area stops. To manage swelling and relieve pain apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek or lip in the area. Contact our office to make an emergency appointment as soon as possible.
For Knocked-Out Teeth
Retrieve your child’s tooth. Take care to hold it only by the crown (do not touch the tooth roots), and rinse it gently with water if the tooth is dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible try to put the tooth back in place, but do not force it into the socket. If the tooth cannot be held in the mouth, put it in a small container of milk. Make an emergency appointment for your child as quickly as possible – if you are able to meet with our pediatric dentists within an hour of the tooth being knocked out the chances of the tooth being saved are much greater.
For Partially Knocked-Out Teeth
Contact our office and make an emergency appointment right away. You can give your child an over-the-counter pain reliever and apply a cold compress to the outside of their cheek or mouth to relieve discomfort until they can receive treatment.
For Lost Fillings
Call and make an appointment as soon as possible. An appointment to assess the broken tooth is required before any work can be done, and a temporary restoration may be placed to protect the tooth until your child can receive a new filling or a crown.
For Lost Crowns
If your child’s crown falls off, call and make an appointment as soon as possible. Bring the crown with you. If you are unable to come to our office right away, you can use a cotton swab to apply a little clove oil to the sensitive area (clove oil can be purchased at your local drug store or in the spice isle of the grocery store. If possible, try to slip the crown back over the tooth – you can use over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste or a denture adhesive to do this. Do NOT use superglue.
For Injury and Bleeding of the Gums, Tongue, Cheeks or Lips
First, rinse your child’s mouth with a mild salt-water solution. Then use a moist piece of gauze or a tea bag to apply pressure to the bleeding site. Hold this in place for 15-20 minutes to help halt the bleeding.
Use a cold compress on the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area for five to 10 minutes to manage discomfort.
If bleeding does not stop, come to our office or go to the emergency room. Continue to apply pressure on the bleeding site until you can receive treatment.
Schedule An Emergency Appointment
Contact our team now to schedule an emergency dental appointment and get your child the care they need!