Pediatric Emergency Dentist – Castle Rock, CO

Urgent Dental Care for Growing Smiles

Child looking at smile in mirror during emergency dentistry visit

At Castle Rock Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we understand that unexpected things in life happen, especially if you have kids. That’s why we recommend saving our pediatric dental office’s number in your phone, so you’re ready in case a dental emergency occurs to your growing loved ones. When your child experiences a dental emergency, Dr. Benzley and the rest of our dentistry team are here to help during this time of need. Unless it is a life-threatening situation, you can turn to our children's dentistry team and pediatric emergency dentist in Castle Rock, CO for fast, gentle emergency dental care that will get your child back to full oral health.

 

Why Choose Castle Rock Smiles Pediatric Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Animated exclamation mark Same-Day Dental Emergency
    Appointments Available
  • Animated tooth and calendar Get Scheduled After-Hours
    and On Weekends
  • Animated zees Sedation Dentistry Options
    Offered for Anxious Patients

 

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Pediatric emergency dentist and dental team member looking at child after urgent dental treatment

When you call our specialty dental office to report a dental emergency, we’ll do everything we can to get your child seen the same day as well as provide first-aid tips over the phone ahead of your arrival. Once you arrive, we can perform a detailed exam, take note of their symptoms, then recommend a treatment plan from there. The cost of your plan will vary depending on the emergency they are experiencing, but you’ll always have a clear estimate before we begin any stage of treatment.

 

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

If you have a dental emergency requiring immediate attention, please call our dental office right away so we can prepare for your visit. Keep in mind that we are not a walk-in clinic, and there may be a short wait, but we will do everything we can to see your child as soon as possible.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies

Family discussing the cost of dental emergencies with dentistry team member

No two smiles are exactly the same, and neither are dental emergencies. Each case has unique needs and therefore will vary in cost from the next one. If your child is experiencing a dental emergency, don’t wait to seek treatment. The problem will likely only get worse with time, potentially endangering your child’s smile and health and resulting in even higher treatment costs down the road.

Why Every Dental Emergency is Different

Young girl smiling at dentist during exam

As we mentioned in the previous section, dental emergencies aren’t the same from child to child. In fact, even two patients who are struggling with a toothache may need two completely different treatments depending on important factors like the severity of the damage. That’s why one of the first steps we take is conducting a thorough exam. Only then will we know the root of the problem, the extent of the damage, and which treatment is needed to restore your child’s healthy, happy smile.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

Parent filling out dental insurance information in lobby

Although it’s rare for dental insurance providers to cover the entire cost, they may cover a portion of it! So, it’s definitely worth taking a look at the fine print on your plan. Of course, if the unfamiliar jargon is making it a bit difficult to understand and you don’t want to sit on the phone with your insurance company, you can always give us a call as well. We’re proud to welcome Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, and several other popular providers.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

Young girl smiling while sitting in dentist's treatment chair

If you aren’t currently insured, then ask our team about flexible financing. With this financial solution, you won’t have to pay for the entire cost of your child’s treatment at once. Instead, you can break down the payments into budget-friendly installments that fit perfectly into your monthly budget. If you want to learn more, the next step is simple: give us a call!

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

Child holding large model of teeth up

Although accidents can’t always be prevented, many dental injuries can be! That’s why we encourage our patients and their families to adopt healthy habits, like wearing a mouthguard while playing sports and implementing a solid oral hygiene routine at home. Of course, you should also bring your little one into our office twice a year for a checkup and cleaning (or sooner if any abnormal dental symptoms arise, like a toothache). With these best practices in place, you can help keep their teeth and gums healthy and happy, reducing your chances of needing to spend money on last-minute dental care.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Pediatric dentist teaching child how to brush teeth to prevent dental emergencies

Sometimes a dental emergency happens despite everyone’s best efforts, but oftentimes dental emergencies can be avoided through simple measures that protect your child’s teeth from harm. Here are some things you can do to prevent a dental emergency:

  • Make sure your child thoroughly brushes and flosses their teeth daily.
  • Bring your child to Castle Rock Smiles Pediatric Dentistry for a checkup and cleaning twice every year.
  • Have your child wear a custom mouthguard when they play sports, particularly if there is contact involved, no matter their age or ability.
  • Help your child stop bad oral habits, such as chewing on ice or pencils or using their teeth to open packaging.

Learn More About Preventing Pediatric Dental Emergencies

Pediatric Dental Emergency Frequently Asked Questions

As a parent, nothing is scarier than seeing your child in pain. But rest assured that Dr. Benzley and our experienced team are here for you and will have them feeling better fast! To help you have all the information you need to handle the unexpected, we’ve answered several emergency FAQs below. But if you have any other questions or simply need a pediatric dental emergency dentist, get in touch anytime. We’re always just a phone call away!

Will Insurance Cover My Child’s Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies vary widely and could be as simple as a filling a cavity or something more involved like treating a knocked-out tooth. Although many dental plans provide at least partial coverage for exams, X-rays, and minor and major dental work, it’s important to remember that each plan is unique.

After Dr. Benzley has created a treatment plan, we’ll explain how your dental insurance plan works and what will be covered. As a pediatric dentist who is in-network with many different PPO plans (and also accepts Medicaid), we’re able to file your claims and also help reduce your out-of-pocket costs as much as possible.

How Do I Know If My Child Is Having a True Dental Emergency?

It can be hard to know if your child is having a true emergency or not. A good rule of thumb is to call us right away, even if you have doubts. We’re happy to advise you over the phone, schedule a visit if necessary, or simply put your mind at ease.

With that said, here are some signs your child needs emergency dental care as soon as possible:

  • They’ve knocked out a tooth.
  • They’ve broken a tooth or any dental work
  • They have moderate or heavy bleeding
  • They aren’t able to comfortably eat or sleep because they’re in pain
  • Their lip or cheek is swollen, or they have a toothache and fever. These are signs of a dental infection that needs to be addressed quickly.

What Should I Do If My Child Has a Toothache?

First, look in your child’s mouth (a flashlight can help) to see if the pain is caused by something stuck between their teeth. If you see anything, gently floss the area and have them swish and spit with lukewarm water to rinse away any debris.

If you don’t see anything, call us to schedule a visit. Then (as needed), give them over-the-counter children's pain reliever as directed. You can also gently hold a cold compress to the outside of their lip or cheek in 10-minute intervals to further reduce pain and inflammation.

What Will Your Child’s Emergency Dental Visit Be Like?

In the event of a child dental emergency, Dr. Benzley will stabilize any injuries, relieve pain and discomfort, and determine which treatment is best for their short-term and long-term oral health. Here’s a general idea of what the visit will include:

  • Exam – After we’ve discussed your child’s symptoms and/or injury, we’ll visually examine their teeth and gums to get an overall idea of what needs to be done.
  • X-rays – As needed, we’ll take X-rays to show us what’s happening around the roots of your child’s teeth, under their dental work, and in their jawbone.
  • Diagnosis and treatment – Finally, Dr. Benzley will discuss his findings and recommendations for treatment and answer any questions you may have. Whenever possible, we’ll provide more than one treatment option.

 

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Toothache

Is my child’s toothache an emergency? The most common causes of dental emergencies in children are toothaches. Not only are they distracting, but they can sometimes indicate a serious underlying problem. In many cases, they are a warning sign of cavities. You should schedule an emergency appointment for your child if they experience swelling, fever, fatigue, darkening of the tooth, or have developed a bump in the gums.

How you should handle your child’s toothache: To ease your child’s discomfort until they reach our dental office, you can provide them with an over-the-counter children’s pain medication or place a cold compress on the outside of their face for 10-minute increments. Do not put aspirin directly on the gums! It can do more harm than good.

How we treat toothaches in children: Toothaches that won’t go away and are a result of a tooth infection will likely require a pulpotomy and dental crown for treatment. However, our team will need to conduct a thorough examination to determine the best treatment option for your child’s situation. It’s incredibly important to treat baby teeth to ensure the health of future permanent teeth.

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Chipped Tooth

Is my child’s chipped tooth an emergency? Not necessarily! Since a chipped tooth doesn’t typically cause discomfort, it’s not considered an urgent situation. Of course, leaving it untreated can lead to serious complications down the line. Make sure you schedule an appointment as soon as possible to ensure your child’s smile isn’t in any danger.

How you should handle your child’s chipped tooth: If you’re able to find your child’s broken-off portion of the tooth, pick it up, rinse it off, and bring it to their appointment. You can place a piece of orthodontic wax over the broken tooth if it’s rubbing against the inside of the lip or cheek and causing irritation.

How we treat children’s chipped teeth: The appearance and function of your child’s chipped tooth can be addressed with dental bonding or a crown. Not only are the materials incredibly durable, but they can ensure a natural-looking result.

Cracked Tooth

Is my child’s cracked tooth an emergency? It depends! If your child has major damage, you’ll need to urgently schedule an emergency appointment for them. However, minor damage can wait a few days if needed. They may have hidden damage if they’ve sustained a blow to the face and start complaining of tooth sensitivity or discomfort.

How you should handle your child’s cracked tooth: If your child has a cracked tooth, they may experience sensitivity and soreness. You should keep your child as comfortable as possible until you make it to our office. Have them avoid crunchy foods and hot and cold drinks. To relieve discomfort, you can provide over-the-counter pain medication.

How we treat children’s cracked teeth: Depending on the extent of the damage, our team may recommend a dental filling, crown, or tooth extraction. We’ll be sure to review all of the treatment options with you before moving forward with anything. That way, you can make an informed decision on what’s best for your little one’s smile.

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth

Is A Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? For the best chances of saving your child’s tooth, we need to see them within 60 minutes of the incident. So, yes, a knocked-out permanent tooth is a dental emergency! Call our office right away so we can schedule a same-day appointment and provide you with instructions over the phone on how to preserve the tooth.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Permanent Tooth First, try to find the tooth. If you do find it, carefully pick it up by the crown (the chewing surface). If it’s dirty, don’t use any soap or disinfectants. Instead, gently rinse it with water. If the tooth can be put back in the socket without force, then do that. Otherwise, you can place it in a glass of milk or store it in a small, clean bag.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Permanent Teeth As always, priority number one is to save your child’s natural tooth. That’s why we will first try to gently place it back into the socket before securing it to the surrounding teeth. From there, the tooth will reintegrate with the jawbone. Of course, if the tooth cannot be saved, then we will need to discuss a tooth-replacement option, like a dental bridge.

Knocked-Out Baby Tooth

Is a Knocked-Out Baby Tooth a Dental Emergency? Although baby teeth naturally fall out on their own, there are some cases where they come out sooner, like during a sports accident. If that’s the case, call our Castle Rock dental team right away. That way, we can make sure their surrounding teeth and their underlying tooth wasn’t injured as well.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Baby Tooth First, have your child rinse with room-temperature water, and use tissue or gauze to control the bleeding. You can also offer them a cold compress (or towel-wrapped ice pack), which will help alleviate puffiness and any discomfort they’re experiencing. To avoid further damage or pain, it’s also important that they avoid sticky, acidic, crunchy, and sugary foods until they’ve seen us for treatment.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Baby Teeth If the surrounding teeth have not been damaged, then we may not need to do anything. Oftentimes, we will need to use a space maintainer to prevent the neighboring teeth from moving into the open gap. As always, however, we will review all of the treatment options with you, answer any questions you have, and share our recommendations on how to protect their teeth moving forward, like wearing a sportsguard.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SPORTSGUARDS

Bitten Tongue, Lip, Cheek

Is a Bitten Tongue, Lip, or Cheek an Emergency? A soft tissue injury can be quite overwhelming to handle, mostly because they hurt and often bleed a lot. Fortunately, they rarely require a same-day visit to our office. You should, however, bring your child to the ER if the bleeding has lasted more than 10 minutes.

How You Should Handle Your Child's Soft Tissue Injury Priority number one is cleaning the area and controlling the bleeding. After rinsing their mouth with water, have your little one apply pressure to the cut with a clean, damp washcloth or piece of gauze. To minimize swelling and help numb the area, offer them a cold compress as well.

How We Treat Soft Tissue Injuries in Children Although soft tissue injuries aren’t typically dental emergencies, we’re always here to help! If you are concerned, then don’t hesitate to contact us so we can learn more about the situation and provide step-by-step instructions on what to do next.

Dental Concussion

Is my child’s dental concussion an emergency? Not necessarily! However, it is still important to seek prompt dental attention. If there is significant pain, a permanent tooth is very out of place, or the tooth is darkening, it is recommended that you give us a call to schedule an appointment. We will be able to assess the severity of your child’s injury and provide appropriate treatment.

How you should handle your child’s dental concussion: Gently rinse your child’s mouth, apply a cold compress, and offer over-the-counter pain relief if necessary. Avoid touching the affected tooth until you receive further instructions from a dental professional. Swift action ensures a smoother recovery.

How we treat dental concussions in children: Our team will perform a thorough assessment, including X-rays, to tailor treatment for dental concussions in children. Mild cases may self-correct or be splinted, while severe cases may require a root canal, orthodontic care, or extraction if necessary for long-term oral health.

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<Learn More About Tooth Extractions>

Sensitive Teeth

Are my child’s sensitive teeth an emergency? Yes, your child's sensitive teeth could potentially be considered an emergency! In children, tooth sensitivity is often linked to cavities or underlying issues. Leaving these untreated can lead to serious problems. Whether it's due to cavities, damage, worn fillings, bruxism, or infection, it's crucial to reach out to us promptly to assess and address the issue.

How you should handle your child’ sensitive teeth: Give us a call to receive personalized instructions for your child's sensitive teeth. Desensitizing toothpaste or mouthwash may be recommended. Encourage them to drink lukewarm water and steer clear of sweet or spicy foods for relief.

How we treat sensitive teeth in children: Our approach to sensitive teeth in children depends on the cause. From fluoride treatments and dental sealants to addressing gum infections or tooth damage, our specialized care ensures lasting relief and a healthy smile.

<Learn More About Dental Sealants>

<Learn More About Fillings>

<Learn More About Pulp Therapy >

Lost Filling or Crown

Is my child’s lost filling or crown an emergency? Absolutely! While fillings and crowns are durable, they aren't permanent. Immediate treatment is crucial to protect the exposed tooth from potential infection and further damage. Contact us right away for necessary care.

How you should handle your child’s lost filling or crown: If your child loses a filling or crown, search for it if possible. We can often recement it, but replacement may be necessary. Steer clear of sweet, spicy, or acidic foods. For sensitivity, consider over-the-counter pain relief or cover the tooth with sugarless gum or tooth wax.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns in children: In the event of lost fillings or crowns, timely action is key. If we can't refit the restoration, replacement is necessary. Swift attention typically prevents additional complications like infections.

<Learn More About Fillings>

<Learn More About Crowns>

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is having something stuck between my child’s teeth an emergency? Having something stuck between your child's teeth may not be considered an emergency. However, if you're unable to remove the debris on your own, give us a call. Our team is specially trained to safely and effectively dislodge foreign objects from between children's teeth.

How you should handle something stuck between your child’s teeth: Attempt gentle flossing and have them rinse with warm water. Avoid sharp objects like toothpicks, as they may cause harm. If unsuccessful, call us immediately for safe removal.