• Excessive wear on the teeth
• Chipped teeth
• Facial and jaw pain
• Tooth temperature sensitivity to hot and cold foods
• Headache or ear pain.

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Hyperactivity (e.g., being strongly associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD))
• Nightmares
• Snoring

• Fluoride is a proven preventative against tooth decay. Fluoridation of community waters and the usage of fluoride-containing toothpastes are widely accepted strategies against dental caries. Minerals of tooth enamel are in flux, with demineralization and remineralization being competing processes. Demineralization, occurring by acids formed through bacterial metabolism of dietary sugars, leads to the softening of the outer tooth surface. Remineralization, occurring when minerals such as fluoride, calcium, and phosphate are redeposited into the enamel, serves to harden the tooth surface. Fluoride curtails dental caries by making the outer tooth surface more resistant to acid released from plague-forming bacteria.

• Silver is a strong antibacterial metal, exhibiting “oligodynamic” properties, i.e., low concentrations of this metal are biocidal. Silver ions immediately kill bacteria upon contact. Furthermore, the silver ions remain embedded in demineralized tooth structures, serving both to harden the tooth and to provide antibacterial properties to prevent reinvasion by bacteria of dental decay.

• Diamine is the source of ammonia, which stabilizes the solution and which acts as an antiseptic to kill harmful oral bacteria.

What Parents Need to Know About Pediatric Dental Emergencies

• A knocked-out (avulsed) tooth
• A chipped or broken tooth
• A cut or bitten tongue, lip, cheek that requires suturing
• A toothache with facial swelling

• Save teeth at risk of being lost
• Prevent or treat infection
• Restore function in the best possible way

• First, comfort your child and stem the bleeding by applying light pressure with a sterile gauze pad.
• Try to find the knocked out tooth to be sure the child has not swallowed it. It’s important to try to find the tooth because it could possibly be knocked into the gums, or part of the tooth may still remain in the bone.
• Don’t try to put a baby tooth back into the socket because you could inadvertently damage the permanent tooth.
• Make an appointment at our pediatric dental office.
• We’ll examine your child’s mouth thoroughly and possibly take x-rays to check the surrounding teeth and unerupted permanent teeth for damage. It’s sometimes necessary to insert a space maintainer to keep surrounding teeth from shifting and assure that permanent teeth erupt properly.
• Even preschool age children are aware of their appearance. If the knocked out tooth is a front tooth, a gap may last for several years until the adult teeth erupt. If necessary, we can make a temporary bridge called a “pedo-partial” that only stays in place until permanent teeth come in. Every consideration is given to the individual child’s situation and treatment plan.