June 12, 2024, 8:50 a.m.
Establishing a dental home for your child by age 1 is important because if your child experiences a dental emergency, like being hit in the face with a baseball, you should contact your dentist first.
Emily Hahn, DDS, a pediatric dentist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, outlines three things to know about dental injuries and children:
- The mouth is vascular and bleeds easily. If it’s just a tooth injury, even if it’s super bloody, call your dentist first.
- Your dentist should be able to direct you exactly where to go next. It may be the emergency department or urgent care, but having a dentist or pediatric dentist on your health care team will help guide you in the right direction.
- If you think your child is experiencing a head injury in addition to a dental emergency, you should visit an emergency department. St. Louis Children’s Hospital has six pediatric emergency department locations across the St. Louis and southern Illinois region. These include St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital at Memorial Hospital Belleville, Children’s Hospital at Memorial Hospital Shiloh, Children’s Hospital at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Children’s Hospital at Northwest HealthCare and Children’s Hospital at Progress West Hospital.
