Pediatric Emergency Dentist – Pickering, ON

There for Your Child When You Need Us

As a parent, you want to protect your child from harm. It’s never a good thing to see them hurt or injured. Even so, there’s always a chance they’ll face a dental emergency. You’ll need to send them to our office should that happen. That way, our pediatric emergency dentist in Pickering – Dr. Murad – can treat them and save their smile. She’ll also help you avoid the time, money, and hassle of an ER visit. With that said, go ahead and contact us soon!

Why Choose HiFive Kids Dental & Braces for Children's Emergency Dental Care?

  • Same-Day Dental Appointments Available
  • Dental Insurance Friendly
  • Highly-Trained & Experienced Dental Team

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Child having their mouth examined by pediatric emergency dentist in Pickering

Even if they need it, your child might be nervous about emergency dentistry. Fortunately, we can give them a rundown of our treatment process. Here’s what they can expect from an emergency dental visit:

  • Same-Day Appointment – Once you contact us, we’ll book your child’s visit for the earliest time available. We may even see them on the same day you call! While you two wait for the appointment, our staff will also provide first-aid tips over the phone.
  • An Emergency Exam – When your kiddie arrives for a visit, Dr. Murad will perform an emergency oral exam. Doing so lets her trace the source and extent of their issue. At the same time, this step confirms how she can relieve their pain.
  • A Findings Review – After the exam, Dr. Murad will review her findings with you. She’ll then suggest potential procedures for your child. Based on your feedback, she and her team will draft a custom treatment plan. (Rest assured, this plan will explain the estimated price and timeline.)
  • Top-Quality Dental Care – Whatever your child’s issue, our team will quickly address it. After all, our office can handle dental fillings, crowns, root canal therapy, and more. You can thus trust that your little one’s smile will get back on track!

The Most Common Pediatric Dental Emergencies

However tempted you are, don't panic over your child’s oral issue. That approach will just leave them frightened. Instead, call our office to book the earliest possible appointment. We at HiFive Kids Dental & Braces treat many common pediatric dental emergencies. In fact, here’s some guidance on the ones we can fix that’ll help you manage until the actual visit.

Understanding the Cost of Pediatric Emergency Dentistry

Person typing on calculator with model of tooth on desk

Since the cost of pediatric dental emergencies can vary widely, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to the price. If you want an estimate, then you and your child must see Dr. Murad for an exam. Still, you can trust our office to make care as affordable as possible. Plus, you can read on to learn more on the topic in the meantime!

Why Every Dental Emergency is Different

Child smiling while dentist examines their teeth

In short, every child’s dental emergency is unique, so treatment prices differ from patient to patient. In other words, if one child comes in because of a persistent toothache and the next comes in because they knocked-out a tooth, we won’t intervene with the same restorative care. Instead, Dr. Murad will conduct a thorough exam, determine the root and severity of the problem, and create a custom treatment plan designed to restore the look, health, and function of your child’s smile.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Pediatric Dental Emergencies?

Parent filling out dental insurance information in office

Although the answer really depends on the fine print on your plan, dental insurance providers do often cover a portion of the cost. So, don’t hesitate to ask our team for help utilizing your benefits! We’re happy to welcome dental insurance, and we can even file the claims on your behalf to make the process of maximizing your coverage stress-free. Every step of the way, we’ll be here to answer any questions you have as well.

How Taking Care Of Your Child’s Smile Can Save You Money

Parent and child smiling while brushing teeth in bathroom

Remember, many dental injuries can be prevented. For example, if your child wears a mouthguard during practices and games, then they are significantly less likely to knock out a tooth. If they consistently brush and floss their teeth, then decay and infections won’t surface. If they don’t over-indulge in treats with added sugar, they will protect their smile from cavities. That’s why our Pickering dental team encourages parents to reinforce good dental habits, like eating vegetables, brushing twice a day, and visiting us every six months for a checkup and cleaning.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Child smiling during dental checkup

Naturally, preventing a child’s dental emergency is better than managing it. After all, the latter option is more expensive and time-consuming. Luckily, your kiddie can avoid urgent oral issues by practicing the right dental health habits. These include the following:

Schedule a Checkup and Cleaning Every Six Months

Young girl smiling while high-fiving dentist at checkup

Visiting the dentist every six months isn’t just important for adults; it’s important for children too! These routine visits allow Dr. Murad and our team to catch cavities early on, remove stubborn plaque, answer questions, and so much more. In short, each appointment plays a crucial role in keeping your little one’s growing smile happy and healthy, so don’t skip them!

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene At Home

Young girl in yellow shirt smiling while brushing her teeth

Of course, your child’s smile needs to be cared for between their biannual visits as well. On a daily basis, it’s important that they brush their teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste. Once they have two teeth that are touching, flossing should also be added to their dental care regimen. Lastly, around the age of 12 or 13, they should begin rinsing with an ADA-approved mouthwash as well. By helping your child with these important practices, you’ll keep their smiles safe for years to come!

Stick to a Nutritious Diet

Child smiling while eating healthy meal at home

Are all of your child’s favorite foods and drinks loaded with sugar? While everything is okay in moderation, it’s important to be mindful of how much they are consuming since indulging too much can result in a mouthful of cavities. We encourage parents to do their best to find nutrient-dense, smile-friendly foods their children love as well, like fresh strawberries, mashed sweet potatoes, and plain yogurt.

Always Wear a Mouthguard During Sports

Child smiling while playing basketball with friends

Does your child participate in sports? Whether it’s through their school or their local community, it’s very important that they wear a mouthguard to protect their smile from harm. In fact, the American Dental Association even recommends wearing one during non-contact sports too, like skateboarding. In short, if your child is active, they should have a custom mouthguard to wear while they are on the field, mat, or stage.

Discourage Bad Dental Habits

Child in pink and white shirt biting their nails

Does your child bite their nails? Do they chew on the back of their pencil while doing homework? Do they bite into hard items, like lollipops and ice cubes? These are all recipes for a dental emergency, which is why it’s so important to reinforce healthier habits instead, like chewing on sugar-free gum.

Pediatric Dental Emergency FAQs

What does throbbing tooth pain mean?

Sometimes, kids report feeling a sharp, stabbing pain when they bite down. Other times, they feel a persistent, throbbing pain throughout the day and night. In both cases, it’s best to schedule an emergency exam with Dr. Murad. That way, she can learn more about your child’s symptoms, conduct a comprehensive oral exam, and pinpoint the root of the problem. Usually, it’s a cavity, but it’s also possible that a chip, crack, or fracture is the source.

How can I help my child sleep with tooth pain?

Dental discomfort is only exacerbated following a poor night’s sleep. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can help alleviate your child’s discomfort until their appointment at our Pickering dental office. The first is giving them soft foods, like plain yogurt, bananas, oatmeal, and soup. The second is offering them a cold compress and giving them OTC pain medication for kids if their discomfort persists. The third is propping them up on a few pillows so their head stays elevated while they sleep.

Should I take my child to the emergency room first for dental emergencies?

Trips to the ER should be reserved for fractured jaws, difficulty breathing, uncontrollable bleeding, and the like. That’s because hospitals rarely have dentists on staff. As a result, the most they can do is alleviate your child’s discomfort and refer them back to their dental team if they come in with a decayed, chipped, or cracked tooth.

Will my child’s toothache go away on its own?

If your child’s toothache was the result of a cavity, a crack, or something similar, then the answer is “no.” That’s why we recommend scheduling an appointment with us if their discomfort, soreness, or sensitivity persists for more than an hour or two. We need to examine their tooth, determine the root of the problem, and proceed with any necessary restorative care so they aren’t in pain for long.

Do chipped teeth heal?

No, chipped teeth cannot heal. So, if your child chips a tooth while playing in the backyard, participating in a sport, or riding their bike, the best thing to do is call us ASAP. Not only will we set aside time for them to come in, but we will also walk you through what to do in order to protect their tooth from further harm in the meantime.

What does chronic bad breath mean?

A persistent, foul odor could be due to diet. So, try eliminating pungent foods, like fish, onions, and garlic. It’s also worth taking a look at your child’s oral hygiene regimen. Are they flossing consistently? Are they brushing for a full two minutes each morning and evening? If the answer is “no,” then there is a good chance that’s the culprit.

Tip: Use your child’s dentist as a resource! They can answer any questions you have as well as provide helpful insight and recommendations.

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Toothaches

Is My Child's Toothache a Dental Emergency? Toothaches could be the result of many things, including untreated oral health issues. That’s why they should never be ignored! If your child lets you know that they are experiencing throbbing pain, dental sensitivity, or discomfort when biting down, then call our Pickering pediatric dentist, Dr. Murad.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Toothache: After learning more about your child’s symptoms and scheduling an appointment with our team, we recommend doing what you can to keep them comfortable. This includes placing a cold compress against the outside of their cheek, giving them soft foods, and, if these don’t work, offering them OTC pain medication for children.

How We Treat Toothaches in Children: To determine the best treatment, we must first discover what’s causing their toothache and how severe the dental problem at hand is. From there, we can review our findings with you and help you make a decision on the next best steps, like restoring their tooth with a tooth-colored filling or dental crown.

Cracked Tooth

Is My Child's Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? If your child cracks a tooth when biting into something crunchy or while participating in a sport, then it warrants a call to our Pickering pediatric dental office. In addition to scheduling a time for your child to come in for treatment, we can give you step-by-step instructions on how to help them in the meantime.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Cracked Tooth: If your child is feeling a bit scared or overwhelmed, try encouraging them to take a few deep breaths. Then, give them some clean, lukewarm water to rinse their mouth with. If they get hungry between now and their appointment, make sure they only eat soft foods and don’t chew on that side of their mouth.

How We Treat Children's Cracked Teeth: The good news is that we can oftentimes save cracked teeth with dental crowns. The bad news is that may not be possible if the damage is severe. If that’s the case for your child, then we will need to carefully extract their tooth to restore their healthy smile.

Chipped Tooth

Is My Child's Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Although chipped teeth can negatively impact multiple facets of your child’s smile, you may be able to wait a day or two for an appointment if the damage is relatively small and your child isn’t in any pain.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Chipped Tooth: Remember, chipped teeth will not heal on their own, so it’s important that one of your top priorities is scheduling an appointment with our team if you reside in the Pickering area. Outside of that, encourage your child not to chew on that side of their mouth, to rinse periodically with clean, room-temperature water, and keep the tooth covered with sugar-free gum or dental wax.

How We Treat Children's Chipped Teeth: Simply put, we have a few options. For example, we may be able to use a tooth-colored composite resin if the chip is relatively small. If the chip is larger, then it may be more ideal to re-cement it back in place with dental bonding.

Sensitive Teeth  

Are My Child's Sensitive Teeth an Emergency? We usually recommend bringing your child in for an exam with our Pickering pediatric emergency dentist if they’ve been experiencing dental sensitivity for more than 24 hours. That way, we can determine if a cavity or another untreated oral health issue is the source.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Sensitive Teeth One of the best things you can do from home is help your child avoid things that trigger dental sensitivity, such as hot beverages and cold foods. If they are experiencing significant discomfort, then you can also give them a children’s OTC pain reliever.

How We Treat Sensitive Teeth in Children That depends entirely on what’s causing your child’s dental sensitivity. Most often, it’s a cavity. In that case, we can use a tooth-colored filling or dental crown to restore their tooth.

Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth  

Is A Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Absolutely! After all, every tooth plays a crucial role, from preserving your child’s alignment to helping them chew efficiently. Plus, this dental injury can be rather painful. For all of those reasons, we recommend calling our Pickering pediatric dental team ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth If you have your child’s tooth, then pick it up by the crown and submerge it in a container of milk. If that’s not available, you can also ask your child if they are comfortable putting the tooth back in its socket. Remember, if the tooth doesn’t slide back into place easily, don’t force it – this can result in additional damage.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Permanent Teeth If you have your child’s tooth, it’s in good condition, and we can provide treatment within 60 minutes of the incident, it’s likely that we can save it. If we can’t for any reason, then we will review the other treatment options available, like a dental bridge or space maintainer.

Lost Fillings or Crowns  

Is My Child's Lost Filling or Crown an Emergency? Yes, it is! Even if your child isn’t in pain or doesn’t seem bothered by the misplaced restoration, it’s important that you bring them in for an appointment with our Pickering pediatric dental team right away. That way, we can restore their tooth before it becomes infected or cracks.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Lost Filling or Crown Of course, one of the first steps is scheduling an appointment for them to come in for treatment. We also encourage parents to remind their children not to chew on that side of their mouth and rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns in Children Most often, we will simply replace your child’s previous restoration with a new one. There are some cases, however, where we can re-cement their old dental crown back in place, which makes the treatment process a bit quicker.

Dental Concussion  

Is My Child's Dental Concussion an Emergency? A dental concussion (when a tooth is shoved out of place but isn’t completely knocked out) absolutely warrants a call to our Pickering emergency dentist. The sooner you call, the more likely it is that we can schedule same-day treatment for your child.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Dental Concussion Dental injuries like these can be overwhelming for your child, so do your best to help them stay calm. For dental concussions specifically, we recommend asking your child to rinse gently with clean, lukewarm water and reminding them not to touch their tooth with their tongue or finger. Of course, you can also provide them with a cold compress or OTC pain medication to alleviate their discomfort as well.

How We Treat Dental Concussions in Children First, we need to take X-rays and examine the tooth in question. Sometimes, we can provide the tooth with the support it needs via a dental splint to heal back in place. Other times, root canal treatment, orthodontics, or a tooth extraction is the best choice for the look, health, and function of your child’s smile.

Knocked-Out Baby Tooth  

Is a Knocked-Out Baby Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, but for a different reason than a knocked-out permanent tooth. Although your child’s baby teeth are supposed to fall out, there can be complications if they fall out too soon. So, don’t wait – contact our Pickering pediatric dental office as soon as you can.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Baby Tooth There’s one important step: bringing your child in for an appointment with our team. All of the recommendations we provided with knocked-out permanent teeth, including putting the tooth back in its socket or submerging it in a container of milk, do not apply here.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Baby Teeth If your child’s tooth was knocked-out around the same time it would usually fall out on its own, then it’s possible that we don’t need to intervene. If, on the other hand, it was knocked out significantly sooner, then we can use a space maintainer to preserve the alignment of your child’s bite.

Bitten Tongue, Lip, or Cheek  

Is a Bitten Tongue, Lip, or Cheek an Emergency? Soft tissue injuries can cause a bit of panic, especially if the cut bleeds a lot. Fortunately, these can usually be handled at home. The only exception is if the bleeding persists for more than 10 minutes, even after applying pressure. In this case, you should bring your child to the ER.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Soft Tissue Injury First, bring your child to the sink and have them rinse with clean, lukewarm water. This will help keep the wound clean and also give you important information, like where it is and how large it is. Then, use a damp washcloth to apply pressure to the area. This should stop the bleeding.

How We Treat Soft Tissue Injuries in Children Although dental injuries like these can usually be handled from home, you’re still welcome to give us a call if you have any questions about how to help your child. As mentioned above, you should take your child to the ER if the cut continues to bleed after 10 minutes of applying pressure.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency?

Jaw pain may not seem like much of an issue at first, but over time it can make chewing, sleeping, and even concentrating difficult. That’s why we recommend scheduling an appointment sooner rather than later. Although a same-day visit may not be necessary, we’d rather pinpoint and treat the root of the problem before it negatively impacts your quality of life.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain

In addition to scheduling an appointment with our Dallas dentist, we recommend that our patients place a cold compress against their jaw to alleviate swelling, avoid extremely crunchy foods to not exacerbate the issue, and take an over-the-counter pain reliever to minimize discomfort.

How We Treat Jaw Pain

Oftentimes, jaw pain boils down to two problems: impacted wisdom teeth and chronic teeth grinding. If it’s the former, then your third set of molars will need to be extracted to provide you with long-lasting relief. If it’s the latter, then we can give you a custom mouthguard to protect your teeth and alleviate pressure from your jaw.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth  

Is Having Something Stuck Between My Child's Teeth an Emergency? Not usually. However, if you’ve been trying to remove the debris between your child’s teeth and haven’t had any success, you can give us a call. From there, we can provide you with helpful tips and, if necessary, schedule an appointment.

How You Should Handle Something Stuck Between Your Child's Teeth Never use any sharp objects, like tweezers, to try and remove debris between your child’s teeth. Instead, dissolve some salt in warm water and have your child rinse with the mixture for 30 seconds or so. Then, use some floss to gently clean between their teeth.