Night-Time Dental Emergencies in Families with Children
In children what matters is not the severity of pain but the tooth type and timing.
Night pain and fever in children
Children rarely point to a painful tooth; they show it through restlessness, refusing food and not sleeping, so the source is often identified late at night. A cold compress on the cheek and raising the head help; any painkiller must be dosed for the child's age and weight, and the drug and time noted.
Fever changes the picture. When dental infection begins to spread, fever, malaise and marked cheek swelling appear together, and this will not wait until morning. If the swelling moves towards the eye or neck, or the child struggles to swallow or breathe, go to a hospital emergency department.
The first hour after primary-tooth trauma
The first question after trauma is whether the tooth is primary or permanent, because the approach is opposite. A knocked-out primary tooth is never replanted: the developing permanent tooth bud lies beneath it and could be permanently damaged. Apply pressure with clean gauze if there is bleeding and bring the child in.
For a knocked-out permanent tooth time is critical. Hold it by the crown, never scrub the root, rinse briefly in cold milk or saline if dirty and bring it in a glass of milk. Loosened, displaced or intruded teeth also need prompt attention, and a tooth that looks intact after a knock should still be checked, as it may discolour days later.
Setting out at night with a child
- Bring any tooth fragment in milk; never let it dry
- Note the name and time of any painkiller given
- Tell us about known allergies and current medicines
- Bring the child's vaccination record
- Keep up pressure with clean gauze on the way if bleeding
- Apply cold to the cheek — never a hot towel
- Do not force food — soft food and water are enough
Before You Arrive from Sarisu: What to Do in the First Hour
What you can do before setting out from Sarisu does not replace treatment, but it keeps the situation from worsening and buys you time.
Before leaving Sarisu
What you should do before setting out from Sarisu depends on your complaint, and detailed first-aid steps for each are on the relevant page. On the way from Emergency in Sarisu, using the wrong measure can make things worse, so it matters which page you read — applying heat to swelling spreads the infection, and placing a painkiller tablet on the tooth burns the gum.
- Toothache
- Dental abscess and facial swelling
- A broken or cracked tooth
- A knocked-out tooth
- Bleeding after an extraction
What calling achieves for Sarisu
Calling as you set out from Sarisu does two things: you receive first-aid guidance suited to your situation, and the radiograph and surgery are prepared while you travel. For patients coming from across Konyaalti, this arrangement noticeably shortens the wait.
What an Emergency Visit Covers for a Patient from Sarisu
For a patient attending as an emergency from Sarisu, the aim is to stop the pain and the infection; definitive work is left to a planned appointment.
Completed the same night for Sarisu
Examination and a radiograph, opening the canal to release pressure, draining an abscess, stopping bleeding, temporarily sealing a broken tooth, splinting a loose tooth and adjusting a poking orthodontic wire are all completed the same night for a patient from Sarisu as well.
Left to a later visit for Sarisu
For a patient from Emergency in Sarisu, completing the root filling, making a crown or onlay, the permanent restoration and the implant and prosthetic stages are done at planned appointments. If you are coming from Sarisu, these are combined according to your journey and given to you in writing, so you do not have to travel from Konyaalti repeatedly.
