Parents guidance in an urgent care

UNEXPECTED
The child is having fun, in the playground, playing in the backyard, in the bedroom, at school, at the pool, when an accident happens. The scare, cry, fear appear. What should you do?

THE PRIORITIES
An accident involving the teeth, but also involving a strong knock on the head, followed by fainting, headache, difficulty to walk and hold things, vomit, convulsion.  All these things make this child be taken  immediately to the hospital for medical evaluation.  After the child is discharged,  he/she will be taken to an emergency dental service.

When the accident involves only the teeth, the parents should look for the emergency dental  service. The professional preference is an expert in Pediatric Dentistry.

PARENTS SHOULD DO
The parents who arrive in the place where there is the emergency dental service  need to prepare the child for the care, keep calm and tranquilize the child. They should tell him that they are there for the dentist to help and take care of him. The family will inform where, how and why the accident happened. The family will also inform if the child has some health problems, like  allergy, if the child is taking some medicines and if the child had other dental traumas.

THE DENTIST WILL DO
The dentist will need  to examine the child’s mouth and after he will make radiographic examination for diagnosis. In relation to small children or patients who cannot behave very well, their parents need to hold them for the exams.

After the diagnosis, a treatment proposal will be shown to the parents. If they agree, the dentist will prepare the treatment  and needs again the parents’ help to hold the child.  In case of deciduous dental trauma, usually it is not necessary to follow invasive procedures.  But  if the dental trauma occurs in permanent teeth, the treatment may need to follow  invasive procedures.  If the case is about avulsion, when the tooth is out of mouth completely, the shortest time the tooth remains out of the mouth will determine the success of the treatment.

FINALIZING THE SERVICE
After the treatment is concluded, the dentist will guide the family about the aspects of the diet, hygiene, medicines and other types of care for the next days. The family should be clarified  about doubts in the moment the child is treated or by telephone later, as quickly as possible.

IMPORTANCE OF THE FOLLOW-UP
A return visit is usually performed one week after the trauma for the dentist to evaluate the evolution of the case. Other follow-up visits are usually required depending on the type of trauma involved.

IMPORTANCE OF IMMEDIATE CARE
It is very important that the parents know about the emergency dental service in the first hours after the accident. Knowing in that, the chances of the correct diagnosis and the treatment will be naturally successful.