Do You Know What To Do In A Dental Emergency?

November 10, 2018

Dental emergencies can be scary – but when they happen, it’s important to know what to do right away. When you act fast, you have a better chance of saving your tooth from permanent damage.

It’s considered a “dental emergency” when your tooth becomes cracked, dislodged, or knocked out. It’s also an emergency if an existing filling or crown becomes dislodged, if you have a toothache, or even if you simply have something stuck between your teeth that you can’t get out. When you find yourself in one of these situations, make an appointment right away. While you wait for your appointment, take every measure you can to protect your tooth.

For example, if your tooth is cracked or chipped, it’s important to try to retrieve any pieces of the tooth that have fallen out. After rinsing your mouth using warm water, rinse the pieces of the tooth. To keep your gums from becoming inflamed, apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth while you wait for your appointment. If your mouth is bleeding, you can apply gauze, but try to avoid touching your mouth otherwise. If your tooth has been dislodged but remains in your mouth, there is not much you need to do before seeing the dentist except to try to reduce inflammation. Apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth, take a pain reliever like Advil, and come in to the office as soon as possible.

The protocol is similar for a situation in which your entire tooth has been knocked out. Apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth and gauze to the space where the tooth was. If you can retrieve the tooth, gently rinse it in warm water and then store it in milk or salt water while waiting to see the dentist. Ideally, your appointment should occur within one hour of losing the tooth. Acting fast gives you the highest chance that your dentist can save the tooth.

Although losing a crown or filling may not seem as serious as knocking out a tooth, it’s still very important to get to the dentist right away. The experience can be very painful, because the damaged tooth and nerves are now exposed. Try to save the filling or crown by rinsing it with warm water and bringing it in as soon as you can.

It can be difficult to know what to do when you have a toothache, because toothaches can have many possible causes. First, rinse your mouth with warm water and floss to remove any possible food particles that could be inflaming your gums and causing the toothache. If you find something that you can’t remove by flossing, do not try to remove it with a sharp object, because this can damage your teeth. Simply come into the office as soon as possible, and hold a cold compress to the outside of your mouth while waiting for your appointment.

If you have any questions about what to do in a dental emergency, call our team at Sky Dental today!

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