If you have a dental emergency, it is vital to seek professional help as soon as possible. Depending on the crisis, you may have to see a dentist, an oral surgeon, or a hospital. Common dental emergencies include toothaches, knocked-out teeth, and cracked or broken teeth.If you suffer from a toothache, rinse your mouth with warm water and take over-the-counter pain medication. If it’s an issue of a knocked-out tooth, find the tooth and rinse it off with water. If possible, lodge the tooth back in its socket and bite down on a piece of gauze to hold it in place. If it’s a cracked or broken tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to the affected area to control swelling.
You must take the necessary steps to avoid permanent damage to your oral health and expensive treatment, no matter the emergency. Here is a brief overview of managing common dental emergencies before meeting your dentist.
What to do when faced with toothache?
You would need warm water to clean your mouth and brush your teeth thoroughly to remove any dental plaque or food particles from the previous day. Next, make sure you have a clean cloth nearby to apply a cold compress against the aching tooth for about ten minutes. It should help alleviate some of the swellings in your mouth. Avoid putting aspirin directly against your gums because it may seep into the surrounding tissue and irritate it, causing more discomfort than pain relief.
What to do with the knocked-out tooth?
If you cannot contain your discomfort and must put the tooth back in the mouth, make sure it’s facing upwards, with the bottom edge pointing to your gum line. Lay the tooth down onto its side with the root facing towards you and carefully slide it into the socket in its original position. Be gentle; otherwise, you may damage the nerve by pushing it too far out of place, moving another tooth out of its location, breaking off a side partially away from the socket, etc. If you cannot do this, don’t worry. Keep the tooth in a small milk container and visit your dentist immediately.
Do you live in Woodbury? If you don’t know one already, search forLong Island ‘emergency dentist near me’ in Woodbury and get immediate help. When placed back into the socket within an hour of the incident, the knocked-out tooth can be easy to restore. Hence, don’t delay.
What to do with the lost crown?
If your crown gets knocked off,bring it to a dentist, but in the meantime, here’s what you can do:
- The application of clove oil to the areas which are sensitive can be relieving. You can buy this oil from your local drug store or from the grocery store.
- Try to put the crown back on its tooth if you can. Before this, it will be better to apply a coating of OTC dental cement, denture adhesive, or toothpaste in the inner area so that the crown stays there.
What to do if you face the situation of lost filling?
Put a piece of sugarless gum in the hole or cavity. OTC dental cement may also come in handy. Both these are temporary solutions. Hence, don’t avoid visiting your dentist.
What to do if braces and wires break?
If wires become loose or are poking a patient too much, an experienced dentist can switch out certain parts for better comfort. For example, if the wire sticks too far out of the bracket and into the mouth, they can slightly trim it down. Additionally, you can use a bit of tape or cover it with something like wax or gauze to help calm matters down until you get back home after your next appointment. Never cut anything yourself, though.
What to do with chipped teeth?
If you swallow a piece of your broken tooth, seek medical attention quickly. If there is significant bleeding or pain, apply pressure on the inside of your cheek and see a dentist immediately. Otherwise, rinse the area with cool water only and keep it clean. Never use mouth wash, nor engage in any activity that would create more trauma to soft tissues in the mouth as it might cause significant discomfort on the outside. Put the ice pack on the affected area for nearly 10 minutes every couple of hours to reduce swelling and pain.
What to do with the bitten lip or tongue?
Biting your lip or tongue can accidentally occur due to falling. Sometimes, it happens without any such thing also. Since your mouth tends to have an excellent blood supply, biting down on your lip or tongue can lead to blood loss and pain. Since blood loss can be pretty dangerous, medical attention is often necessary.
More precisely, if you bite on the lip or tongue, seek emergency care as soon as possible. There is a risk of infection, and the wound can be pretty painful.Meanwhile, you can clean the wound with cool water and apply a clean, dry cloth to help stop the bleeding. You should not eat or drink anything until the wound has healed.
Dental emergencies can be extremely painful and frightening. If you have a dental emergency, calling your dentist should be the priority. If your dentist is unavailable, you can go to an emergency room or urgent care center. You can also take a few steps to ease the pain of a dental emergency until you get to a dentist or medical professional. Nevertheless, don’t panic. Take a deep breath and follow the steps mentioned above. With proper care, you will be on your way to recovery. Many dental and mouth injuries heal faster. Hence, don’t worry too much. But if you wish to get well soon, visiting your local dentist is a must in most situations.
While some dental emergencies arising from falling or sports injuries can be unavoidable, you can still take preventative measures to minimize the impact. So, keep this in mind.