Dental emergencies—we dread them! But even worse is when something goes wrong with our teeth, and we don’t know what to do about it. And doesn’t it often seem like those dental emergencies happen at precisely the wrong time?
That is why we have condensed and summarized the American Dental Association’s (ADA) online article entitled “Dental Emergencies” just for you. This provides a quick and easy guide for you to refer to just in case that dreaded dental emergency does occur for you or someone you love.
A knocked-out tooth: Get to a dentist’s office right away and keep the tooth moist at all times! If the tooth is a permanent or adult tooth, you can try to place the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If this is not possible, place it between the cheek and gums or in milk. If the tooth is a baby tooth, keep it moist and let the dentist decide whether the entire tooth or just part of the tooth came out, and whether it can be implanted again.
A cracked tooth: Immediately rinse with warm water to clean the area around the cracked tooth and then see your dentist as soon as possible! Cold compresses also help to reduce swelling.
A toothache: Rinse with warm water to clean out the painful area. If any food is caught between your teeth, gently use floss to remove it. Never put aspirin on your aching tooth or gums, as it may burn the gum tissue. And of course, contact your dentist!
An object stuck in the mouth or teeth: Gently try to remove the object with floss, but not with a sharp or pointed object. If you cannot remove the object, see your dentist to avoid infection and/or pain.
A broken jaw: Go to your dentist or a hospital emergency room immediately. Cold compresses on the jaw can also reduce swelling.
Most importantly, the ADA article reminds us to visit the dentist as soon as possible after any dental emergency and to provide as much detail as possible when you call. If the dentist is not available, visit your local emergency room.
At Boulevard Dental, we set aside time in our schedule to accommodate dental emergencies. And we do this for non-patients and patients alike. We would love to assist you or your loved one in any way that we can!
Sources:
Dental Emergencies – http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/dental-care-concerns/dental-emergencies