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Pediatric Emergencies

Is there a worse feeling than seeing your child in pain?

We know how stressful a situation this can be, and that's why we do our very best to be there for you when you need us.

At Sporting Smiles, we accommodate dental and orthodontic emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the Virginia cities of Gainesville, Haymarket, Bristow, Nokesville, and Warrenton. You may reach our doctors directly by phone (703) 743-5937 or email.

What Is a Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies can show up in a number of different ways. One type of emergency is when an injury occurs to the teeth or gums. Another type of emergency occurs when infection hits.

In both cases, we urge you to call our practice right away so that we can assess the situation and determine the best approach to relieve your child's pain and protect his or her oral health.

Some of the most common pediatric emergencies we see at our Gainesville pediatric dental office include:

Broken or dislocated teeth
Teeth that are lost too soon
Injuries to the gums, lips, and tongue
Decay that has hit the nerve of the tooth
Infections (which often present as unexplained pain or swelling)

If you aren't sure whether your child is experiencing an emergency, that's okay. We'd much rather that you call us so we can double check and help if needed.

Dealing with Lost Teeth

One common question we are asked is whether anything should be done if a child accidentally loses a tooth too soon.

If your child damages or loses a tooth that is not yet wiggly to a fall or a fly ball, reach out to us. In some cases, the tooth would have been lost soon anyway and you can go ahead and prepare for a visit from the tooth fairy. In other instances, however, we may need to look at using a spacer or other treatment to prevent the other teeth from drifting out of alignment and causing problems that may require orthodontic treatment in the future.

Baby teeth are actually crucial to your child's dental development. As they are coming in, they help your child learn to eat solid foods and speak clearly. They also act as placeholders for the developing permanent teeth. As the permanent tooth is ready to move into place, the root of the baby tooth begins to dissolve. This allows the tooth to become loose and fall out in time for the permanent tooth to take its place.

In addition to losing a tooth too early, problems can also arise if a baby tooth is lost too late. Sometimes this happens because of injury to the tooth. The tooth's nerve dies and the root fails to dissolve. This can result in the permanent tooth erupting in an unusual or incorrect place or even becoming impacted, which can lead to infection and abscess. Regular visits will help us keep an eye on your child's dental development and make sure everything is progressing as it should.

Is Your Child in Pain? Call Now!

We will see your child as quickly as possible to relieve his or her pain and plan treatment. Please give us a call right away so we can help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are baby teeth really that important?

Absolutely!

Your child's first teeth, called primary or "baby" teeth, are crucial to your child's early dental development. These teeth help your child as he or she develops speech and learns to chew solid foods.

Additionally, baby teeth create a sort of "pathway" for the permanent teeth to follow, which usually starts happening around the age of 6. The root of the baby tooth begins to dissolve, causing it to become wiggly and eventually fall out, which leaves a space for the permanent tooth to erupt.

When a tooth is lost too early, the permanent tooth that eventually erupts may come in crooked or in the wrong place, which can lead to a need for orthodontic correction later in life. Alternatively, if a baby tooth becomes damaged, the root may not dissolve properly, which can lead to the tooth failing to fall out on time. In this situation, the permanent tooth may erupt in an incorrect place or fail to erupt completely and become impacted, raising the risk of abscess or infection. If your child takes a fall and injures his or her tooth, please notify us so that we can keep an eye on that tooth and make sure that everything is still developing as usual. If the tooth fails to fall out on time, we may recommend a simple extraction to allow the permanent teeth to erupt correctly.

What should I do if my child falls and knocks out a permanent tooth?

We know that this can be a scary situation for both parents and kids! The most important thing to do right now is to remain calm. This is a problem that can be solved.

Find the tooth, if you can. Make sure that you are holding it by the crown (the visible portion of the tooth) and not the root. Gently rinse it off, without disturbing any attached tissue, and try to reinsert it. One side of the tooth is flatter and wider than the other. This is the side that faces the lip and not the tongue. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth, place the tooth in a container of milk.

Bring your child (and the container with the tooth) to our office right away. The sooner we can see your child, the greater the chance we have of saving the tooth.

If your child knocks out a primary (baby) tooth, don't attempt to reinsert the tooth. Call our office. We'll ask you the questions necessary to schedule an appropriate appointment for your child. Sometimes, if a tooth is lost too early, we may need to consider spacers to hold the space open for the developing permanent tooth and prevent the other teeth from drifting into the space. Other times, we can simply let nature take its course! An evaluation will help us determine the best approach for your child.

What happens if tooth is chipped or broken?

If a tooth breaks, whether or not it can be saved depends how severe and where the break or fracture is. It ultimately depends on if it is an enamel fracture, dentin fracture or pulp exposure or crown/root fracture, root fracture, alveolar fracture. It is not necessary to save the broken piece of a tooth, but can assist in determining extent of damage. However there may be chance it cannot be bonded back to the injured tooth. Treatment varies depending on the injury. However, do treat the area with ice and pressure to reduce swelling and stop any bleeding if any. Then reach out to local Pediatric Dentist to determine next steps of treatment. It is recommended to take pictures on parents cell phone to help diagnose extent of injury and if emergency care is needed.

If child has suffered a serious injury call 911. If child has suffered a concussion call pediatrician or visit local Emergency Room.

Are we accepting new patients?

Yes, we are always accepting new patients!

What insurances are we in-network with?

Our office participates with most PPO insurances and many federal plans. Please contact your insurance plan directly to determine whether we are an in-network provider for your plan.

Meet Our Doctors:

Natasha Khurana, DDS, IBCLC

Dr. Khurana is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She earned her dental degree from the University of Maryland and attended New York University’s College of Dentistry ...

Nirali Mehta, DMD, IBCLC

Dr. Nirali Mehta was born and raised in beautiful Northern Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, Virginia (Go Hokies!) before moving to Glendale, Arizona, where ...

Monica Dinh, DDS, MS

As a skilled, board certified orthodontic provider, Dr. Monica Dinh is committed to providing patients with the highest quality of orthodontic care. Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Dr. Dinh ...

Meet More of our Staff

Featured Blog Posts - Pediatric Emergencies

June 26, 2018

What to Do When You Crack a Tooth

Ouch! Chomp on something your tooth didn’t like? Or get hit in the mouth with a hockey puck? If you think you may have a cracked tooth, or if you’re holding a piece of your tooth in your hand, follow these steps!

1. Give us a call as soon as possible to schedule an appointment at 703-743-5937. Let us know about your emergency and we will make our best effort to see you right away.

2. If there are tooth fragments that have fallen out, preserve them in a clean container with a moist solution (cold mik, water, saliva), and bring them in to your appointment.

3. Apply ...

March 21, 2016

Pediatric Dental Emergencies in Gainesville and How to Handle Them

More information about pediatric emergencies in Gainesville. Our children are not immune to dental emergencies. As a matter of fact, they are even more prone to such emergencies because of how active children are. They run around, play, and have fun. And, amidst all of that activity, they just might fall and chip or break a tooth. As a parent, it is your job to know how to handle pediatric emergencies in Gainesville. And, this is primarily because you are the one having parental authority and custody of your child. In the eyes of the law, you are presumed ...

November 23, 2015

Get the Right Clinic for Pediatric Emergencies

Any pediatric dental clinic can deal with pediatric emergencies. Like many parents and guardians the above statement holds true, right? Unfortunately, this is not so. Choosing a good service provider for emergency dental care for your child is a different ball game. It isn’t the same as finding a normal child dentist or an emergency dentist for adults. Unlike adults, children aren’t so good in expressing themselves. Also, the caregiver needs to be more gentle and child-friendly. So how do you locate the right pediatric dental clinic?

Scrutinize The Provider’s Reputation

The first step to dealing with the right pediatric ...

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