Emergency Pediatric Dentist in Palo Alto
Our pediatric dental team provides urgent dental care for kids in Palo Alto, including toothaches, broken teeth, and dental injuries.
Urgent Dental Care When Your Child Needs It
Our pediatric emergency dentist in Palo Alto provides care for infants, children, and teens with urgent dental concerns. When you call, tell us what happened and describe your child's symptoms so our team can help determine the appropriate next step.
For emergencies, call our office and press 3 to reach the emergency on-call dentist.
- Stay calm and reassure your child.
- Contact our pediatric dental office as soon as possible.
- Apply a cold compress for swelling or discomfort when appropriate.
- Control bleeding with clean gauze and gentle pressure.
- Avoid placing aspirin directly against your child's gums or tooth.
- Bring any broken or knocked-out pieces of a tooth with you.
- For uncontrolled bleeding, serious facial trauma, difficulty breathing, or loss of consciousness, seek emergency medical attention.
Request an Urgent Appointment
Dental Emergencies We Can Help With
From a sudden toothache to an unexpected child tooth injury, dental emergencies can take many forms. Our team provides emergency pediatric dental care in Palo Alto for a range of injuries and urgent oral health concerns.
What to Do Before You Reach Our Office
Taking the right steps after a kids' dental emergency can help protect your child's teeth and keep them more comfortable until they receive professional care.
- Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth
- Handle by the crown, rinse gently, and keep it moist in milk. Never reinsert a baby tooth.
- Chipped or Broken Tooth - Save any pieces, rinse the mouth, and apply a cold compress for swelling.
- Soft-Tissue Injury
- Apply clean gauze to control bleeding and a cold compress for swelling.
- Toothache or Swelling - Rinse with warm water and gently floss. Seek urgent care for severe swelling, fever, or difficulty breathing.
Why Choose Us for Emergencies?
Dental emergencies can be stressful for children and parents. Our pediatric dental team focuses on making urgent visits as calm and comfortable as possible while carefully evaluating your child's injury or dental concern.
- Pediatric dental care designed specifically for children.
- Prompt evaluation of dental pain and injuries.
- Care for both primary and permanent teeth.
- Guidance for parents during unexpected dental emergencies.
- Child-friendly approach to dental trauma and urgent treatment.
- Convenient care for families in Palo Alto and surrounding communities.
If your child has dental pain, swelling, or an injury, contact our office for urgent care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a dental emergency in children?
A pediatric dental emergency may include severe or persistent tooth pain, a knocked-out or broken tooth, significant swelling, uncontrolled oral bleeding, dental trauma, or an injury involving the lips, tongue, cheeks, or gums. If you are unsure whether your child's condition requires urgent dental care, contact our pediatric dental office and describe the symptoms or injury.
What should I do if my child knocks out a permanent tooth?
If a permanent tooth is knocked out, handle it only by the crown and avoid touching the root. Gently rinse it with water if necessary, but do not scrub it. If possible, carefully return it to the socket. Otherwise, keep the tooth moist in milk and seek urgent dental care immediately. A knocked-out permanent tooth should be evaluated as quickly as possible.
Can a knocked-out baby tooth be put back into the socket?
No. A knocked-out primary or baby tooth generally should not be placed back into its socket because doing so may damage the developing permanent tooth underneath. Contact your pediatric dentist promptly so your child's mouth can be examined for additional injuries and you can receive instructions based on the location and severity of the dental trauma.
Is severe tooth pain in a child considered a dental emergency?
Severe, persistent, or worsening tooth pain should be evaluated promptly, particularly when it is accompanied by swelling, fever, sensitivity, or difficulty eating. Tooth pain may result from decay, infection, trauma, or another dental condition. An emergency pediatric dentist can identify the source of your child's discomfort and recommend appropriate treatment.
When should I take my child to the emergency room for a dental injury?
Seek emergency medical attention if your child has difficulty breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, suspected facial or jaw fractures, significant head trauma, or rapidly increasing facial swelling. For dental injuries without these serious symptoms, contact a pediatric emergency dentist for guidance and appropriate dental evaluation.