Emergency Pediatric Dentist — Fort Washington, PA

Urgent Oral Care for Your Child

A young girl about to get emergency dental care

Sadly, kids can (and often do) have their own dental emergencies. These incidents will threaten their oral health if left unchecked. That said, have your child visit us for urgent oral care. Dr. Gardner and her team are well-equipped for emergency pediatric dentistry. With their help, your younger can avoid the hassle of an ER visit. We’ll happily tell you more if you’d like. To that end, just keep reading or call us for the details.

Why Choose Us for Children’s Emergency Dental Care?

  • Timely Emergency Visits
  • A Board-Certified Pediatric Dental Specialist
  • Happy to Serve Special Needs Children

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

A young boy pointing out his toothache to a dentist

There’s a chance your child hasn’t had urgent oral care before. Still, you needn’t worry about the matter; our office will give you a rundown of how it works. So, here are some things to expect from a pediatric dental emergency visit:

  • A Fast Appointment – Once you’ve called us, our team will book your child for the earliest available timeslot. They’ll even provide you with first-aid tips over the phone. That way, you can manage the problem during the wait.
  • An Emergency Exam – Right when your kiddo reaches us, Dr. Gardner will perform an emergency oral exam. Doing so lets her learn the source and extent of your problem. At the same time, this step confirms how best to relieve your child’s pain.
  • A Review of Findings – Following the exam, Dr. Gardner will share her preliminary findings with you. She’ll then suggest potential procedures for your child. Given your feedback, our team will draft a proper treatment plan. (The plan outlines the estimated cost and timeline before you commit to anything.)
  • Top-Quality Care – After drafting the treatment plan, Dr. Gardener and her team will quickly solve your youngster’s problem. You can trust their training and experience. Whether your kid needs a filling, crown, or something else, their smile will be fixed effectively. They’ll then get to enjoy their fully-repaired grin.

The Most Common Pediatric Dental Emergencies

However much they vary, some dental emergencies are pretty common. These sorts are the ones that occur more often than the rest. As such, you should contact us when your child faces one – we can easily handle the most common pediatric problems. A kid’s smile will get fixed quickly and safely with our help. So, don’t hesitate to call our office if your child has any of the following:

Understanding the Cost of Treating Pediatric Dental Emergencies

Fake tooth and pile of coins balanced on a ball and plank scale with blue background

It’s natural to want to know how much you’ll pay for the emergency services needed to repair and preserve your child’s smile. Rest assured, everyone’s circumstances are unique, and we won’t be able to give you an estimate until Dr. Gardner is able to perform an oral examination. Once she determines the extent of the damage and how to mend it, we will provide detailed information for your approval.

If your little one has a chipped or broken baby tooth, you might wonder if it’s worth repairing the damage when it’ll be replaced by a permanent tooth at some point, anyway. However, delaying treatment can lead to additional injury or the development of decay and disease that can spread. Remember, avoiding essential care that’s needed now can cost you later because dental problems don’t usually clear up on their own and tend to only get worse.

Continue reading to learn more about the price of pediatric emergency dentistry, and feel free to contact us with any additional questions.

Every Pediatric Dental Emergency is Different

Girl with brown hair undergoing dental exam by woman in blue scrubs

There are a variety of reasons your child may have ended up in an urgent situation, so it’s impossible to know how much you’ll owe until you arrive for your appointment. Some issues, like a toothache due to a cavity, can be addressed relatively easily with a quick, non-invasive procedure like a filling. Other cases require more complex solutions like root canal therapy or customized restorations, which are more expensive.

We want you to have a comprehensive idea of what’s needed to give your child back their happy, healthy smile before we proceed with any treatments. Rest assured, we’ll take the time to walk you through the process and the associated fees so you can give us the green light to move forward.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Pediatric Dental Emergencies?

iPad that says “Dental Insurance” being held by a man in a white shirt

Most dental insurance providers do offer certain provisions for emergencies. Often, policies include an annual exam that can be applied, along with X-rays or other imaging. Other necessary services, like root canals, extractions, replacement teeth, etc., are frequently  50% to 80% covered.

However, restrictions may apply, so it’s important to check the details of your policy to understand what’s involved. For example, a waiting period may pass before benefits kick in, and you’ll also have to meet your annual deductible.

Other Options for Making Pediatric Dental Emergencies Affordable

Toothbrush and dental instruments on hundred dollar bills on a blue background

When your child is in the middle of an urgent situation and needs help fast, the last thing you want to have to worry about is the cost. If you’re struggling with insurance paperwork, don’t hesitate to ask us for help. Our friendly office staff are familiar with many different providers and are happy to assist with forms and applications as needed. That way, we can help you make the most of the benefits available to you.

Taking Care of Your Child’s Smile Can Save You Money

Child in pink sweatshirt putting coin into pink piggy bank over yellow and blue surface

Although it’s impossible to anticipate when your child might have a dental emergency, there are proactive steps you can take to prevent one from occurring in the first place. Cleaning their teeth and gums twice daily keeps tooth decay and gum disease at bay so that they’re better able to resist injuries or other issues that might land them in the dentist’s chair. That means that by practicing regular preventative care, you can avoid pricier fixes down the road.

Also, scheduling a routine checkup with Dr. Gardner every six months allows her to monitor their oral condition so she can treat any problem areas quickly before they can progress into something worse. Many insurance policies cover 100% of the cost of preventative care, so you won’t lose anything with regular visits.

How to Prevent Pediatric Dental Emergencies

A young girl high-fiving her pediatric dentist

As you’d expect, preventing a dental emergency is better than facing one. The latter scenario involves more time, money, and hassle. Luckily, there are a few ways to avoid such emergencies. Some of the best ones include:

  • Practice Good Oral Hygiene – If you brush twice daily and floss once daily, you’ll prevent plaque buildup. From there, your risk of tooth decay and gum disease will decrease.
  • Avoid Bad Oral Habits – Habits like nail-biting and ice-chewing can chip or break your teeth. So, avoid them as best you can.
  • Wear a Mouthguard – By wearing a mouthguard, you can reduce nighttime teeth grinding. That means your pearly whites will be safer.
  • See Your Dentist Often ­– With regular dental checkups and cleanings, your dentist will prevent mild oral issues from getting worse.

Toothaches  

Is My Child's Toothache a Dental Emergency? Toothaches don’t always warrant a same-day visit to our pediatric dental office in Fort Washington, but they do always warrant immediate attention. Ask your child a few follow-up questions, including how much pain they are experiencing and when their symptoms started. This will give you insight into how urgent the situation is.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Toothache To alleviate your child’s discomfort in the short-term, provide them with softer foods and place a cold compress against the outside of their cheek for 10 minutes at a time. You also have the option of providing them with a children’s OTC pain reliever – just make sure to follow the instructions on the label.

How We Treat Toothaches in Children If your child’s toothache is the result of a cavity, then the solution will likely be a tooth-colored filling or dental crown. We can also add a fluoride treatment or dental sealants to their treatment plan to help protect their teeth from decay moving forward.

Cracked Tooth  

Is My Child's Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Absolutely! It’s important that we mention here that it’s not always possible to see dental damage with the naked eye. That’s why we encourage parents to look out for symptoms that are associated with a cracked tooth, like pain when biting down and dental sensitivity.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Cracked Tooth First, call our Fort Washington dental team ASAP for an appointment. In the meantime, make sure your little one doesn’t chew on that side of their mouth and avoid crunchy, sticky, acidic, sugary, and spicy foods entirely. If they are in a lot of pain, you can give them a children’s OTC pain reliever as a short-term solution.

How We Treat Children's Cracked Teeth Oftentimes, a cracked tooth can be restored with a dental crown. Sadly, there are some cases where that’s not possible. If the tooth is severely damaged, then the best thing for your child’s smile may be extracting it.

Chipped Teeth  

Is My Child's Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? We do recommend scheduling an appointment with us, even if the chip seems relatively small. That way, we can make sure the tooth isn’t at risk of developing an infection. Of course, if your child is in pain, then it’s absolutely a dental emergency, and you should contact us ASAP.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Chipped Tooth First, have your child thoroughly rinse their mouth with clean, lukewarm water to remove debris, food particles, and any lingering shards of their tooth. Then, place some dental wax or sugar-free gum over their tooth to protect it from cutting their tongue, lips, or gums.

How We Treat Children's Chipped Teeth That depends on a few key factors, including the location of the tooth. If one of their molars is chipped, then a dental crown may be recommended. If it is one of their front teeth, then dental bonding may be recommended instead.

Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth

Knocked-Out Baby Tooth

Bitten Tongue, Lip, Cheek

Dental Concussion

Sensitive Teeth

Lost Filling or Crown

Something Stuck Between the Teeth