You can (and should) take steps to decrease your risk of dental emergencies by using appropriate personal protective equipment for your chosen activity (e.g., mouth guards for contact sports) and taking care of your oral hygiene. The reality is, however, not every incident can be prevented.
Being prepared to treat a dental emergency until you can reach an emergency dentist for help is important. For this reason, every vehicle should contain an emergency first aid kit. Ensuring that your kit contains gauze and saline will allow you to treat most dental emergencies temporarily.
Impact Trauma
When a tooth is broken or knocked out, quickly locate it or any fragments. Time is crucial – successful replacement diminishes after thirty minutes. Set the tooth aside while attending to bleeding.
If the tooth is fully out, moisten gauze with saline or water to prevent sticking, place it over the gap, and bite gently to stop bleeding. Rinse the tooth in saline or water and transport it in cold milk or tucked in the cheek pocket. Avoid handling the tooth by its root to maximize chances of successful replacement. Swift and careful action increases the likelihood of a positive outcome during dental treatment.
Tooth Pain
Tooth pain can begin slowly and persist over several days. In this case, we recommend that you see us as soon as is reasonable. Over-the-counter pain medicines may help control the pain until then. If pain is increasing and these medicines are no longer working, you may require an emergency appointment to treat infection. Some signs that a tooth has abscessed are; hot and cold sensitivity that lingers for several minutes. Spontaneous throbbing that comes and goes or pain that wakes you in the middle of the night. In this case, contact us to arrange to be seen as soon as possible.
For questions about this or other services offered by our general dentist, contact our clinic today.