How can we help you?
Dr. Bret and our team have many years of experience in offering professional and friendly pediatric dental care to children of all ages. We know that parents often have many questions regarding their child’s dental care, and our goal is to make sure that your family feels comfortable and informed about any decision that you need to make. We want you to know that we are always available to answer any questions or address any concerns that you may have about your child’s teeth and mouth.
Please let us know if you have any concerns. There are no silly questions, and we want you to feel comfortable coming to us with even the smallest of worries. We know that welcoming our pediatric dental practice into your family is a big decision, and we want you to feel secure in knowing that you have chosen the right pediatric dentist for your child.
Dental Emergencies
Yes! If your child has experienced a dental emergency, they should be seen right away. Call our emergency dentist in Decaturm IL immediately at (217) 875-3080. Brett Jerger DDS can often provide urgent dental care that same day.
If you are unsure whether or not your child’s situation requires emergency dental care, you can always call our dentist office to learn more. Our knowledgeable office staff will help you determine if the injury is serious enough to be emergent.
Common pediatric dental emergencies in Decatur, IL include:
- Heavy bleeding after trauma to the mouth
- Heavy bleeding after losing a tooth naturally
- A tooth that has been knocked out
- A cracked or fractured tooth that is accompanied by pain
- Severe swelling or inflammation
Conditions such as teething, mildly chipped teeth, cavities, or minor toothaches are not considered to be pediatric dental emergencies. If your child is complaining of any of these symptoms, our staff will schedule our next-available appointment for you to see our emergency dentist in Decatur, IL during regular business hours.
Feel Free to Call Our Emergency Dentist in Decatur, IL
Our pediatric dental office has an emergency line available 24/7. If you need to reach us after our regular business hours, simply call us at (217) 875-3080 and follow the instructions listed in our voicemail. Bret Jerger DDS will then be in touch to schedule your emergency dental appointment!
Most dental emergencies in Decatur, IL have a way of letting you know they’re there. Whether it’s through pain or visible damage like a missing tooth, your child’s dental emergency will noticeably interrupt your life.
You’ll recognize a dental emergency by symptoms such as:
- Pain and discomfort
- Bleeding or pus
- Swelling, inflammation, and tenderness
- Visible cracks, chips, fractures, or breaks
- Sharp orthodontic wires or brackets
- Teeth in places they aren’t supposed to be, such as outside the mouth or bent at abnormal angles
If you have a dental emergency on your hands, it will interfere with your daily activities. Dental emergencies impact your ability to sleep, eat, speak, and socialize, and severe emergencies make it feel unbearable to wait even a few hours to see a dentist.
Children's 
Dental Emergencies in Decatur, IL
As your pediatric emergency dentist in Decatur, IL, we’ve seen dental emergencies happen time and time again. Common emergency-inducing scenarios include:
- Your child getting hit in the face during tag at school
- Biting into a hard, chewy candy, such as Starbursts or Skittles, and damaging a tooth
- A stray wire from braces coming loose or having a sharp end
- Children knocking a baby tooth loose or entirely out after falling and hitting their head
If your child has dental pain that’s severe enough to complain about, or if you can see damage to a tooth just by looking in their mouth, you need to call our Decatur, IL dentist at (217) 875-3080.
As a parent, you understand that children can get into all sorts of mischief. Unfortunately, they might even find themselves faced with a dental emergency in Decatur, IL.
If your child hurts their tooth, you might wonder if it’s severe enough to take them to the dentist for emergency treatment. Usually, the answer is yes.
Even though your child will eventually lose their baby teeth in a natural way, it’s essential to take care of these teeth while they’re still part of your child’s smile. Keeping their baby teeth healthy and strong ensures that their permanent teeth will grow in at the right time and in the right spots.
Common Children's Dental Emergencies in Decatur, IL
Our Decatur, IL dentist can care for your child’s dental injuries, including common pediatric dental emergencies such as:
- Knocked-out teeth from everyday situations like recess and sports practice
- Extreme orthodontic discomfort if your child has braces
- Toothaches and sensitivity, including associated ear pain and jaw pain
- Broken and cracked teeth
- Loose or lost tooth fillings and dental crowns
- Infected or abscessed teeth (especially noticeable if your child complains of a persistent bad taste in their mouth or has a fever accompanied by dental pain)
If you need a “dentist near me” to treat your child’s dental emergency, don’t wait to contact us. We will relieve your child’s dental pain and repair their broken tooth. Call us immediately at (217) 875-3080.
A pulpotomy is a dental procedure that allows us to save a severely infected tooth. Also known as a baby root canal, it is a standard procedure performed on baby teeth to prevent tooth loss.
What Does a Pulpotomy on Baby Teeth Look Like?
Dr. Jerger ensures that the dental procedure is gentle and pain-free with the use of anesthetics. We provide children's sedation dentistry so that your baby can feel comfortable through the process.
Your children's dentist in Decatur will remove any decayed areas within the tooth. Once the tooth is clear of infection, we will use a filling to seal the tooth and prevent outside bacteria and food particles from entering the tooth and causing reinfection.
We use a dental crown to stabilize and protect the entire tooth. During each subsequent dental visit, we will check your child's oral health and ensure that the dental crown is a good fit.
Emergency Pulpotomies
If your child is in severe pain, we can help relieve their pain and treat their infected tooth. You can temporarily relieve pain with ibuprofen, but the pain will eventually return.
Tooth pain is always a sign of underlying complications or dental emergencies that will only get worse over time. At Jerger Pediatric Dentistry, we make room in our schedule to provide children emergency dental care in Decatur.
If your child needs a baby root canal procedure (pulpotomy), your child should no longer feel any pain or discomfort. Root canals will relieve pain, not cause pain!
Is Your Child Experiencing Bad Tooth Pain?
Don't ignore tooth pain; we can manage your child's oral pain and keep them comfortable and happy. Give Dr. Jerger and his dental team a call today to schedule an appointment.
We know that a dental emergency for your child can be stressful.
For that reason, Dr. Bret Jerger DDS is here to be your children's emergency dentist in Decatur, IL. The most important thing to do in the event of a dental emergency is to remain calm and comfort your child. If you are looking for a gentle and skilled dentist near me, our compassionate dental team offers great care, regardless of the circumstances.
Give our office a call as soon as you can so that we can triage and determine what needs to be done to best help your child. Often we will give you instructions on what to do in the immediate term until you can get to our dentist office.
Dental Emergencies Can Happen at Any Time
If the dental emergency happens during regular business hours, your dentist in Decatur, IL will do their absolute best to make sure that your child can be seen immediately.
If the dental emergency in Mt. Zion happens after hours, don’t worry—we are still here for your family. Patients of record who have an after-hours emergency can call us and talk to a staff member who can give you instructions on what to do.
Contact Your Emergency Dentist in Decatur, IL Immediately
If your child suffers a trauma, we want you to take them to the nearest emergency room and contact us from there.