There
are various types of dental emergencies, and it’s crucial to see your
dentist as soon as possible when having a dental emergency — this will
increase the chances that you’ll be able to save your tooth and avoid
other complications. However, you also need to know what constitutes a
dental emergency and what you should do in the meantime before you can
get to the dentist.
What to do in a dental emergency
If
you have any of the following situations, you need to make an emergency
dental visit. You should also take certain precautionary actions before
you see the dentist.
Collect and rinse the broken tooth
pieces. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water and apply a cold compress
to your cheek or lip near the broken tooth to relieve swelling until
you see the dentist.
Rinse the tooth and place it carefully back in its socket. If that’s not possible, transport the tooth to the dentist’s office (ideally, within the hour) in a small container of milk or water with a pinch of salt in it.
-
Extruded (partially dislodged) tooth
Apply a cold compress on your cheek or lip on the way to the dentist.
When
you’ve lost a filling, you will usually find that food gets stuck
inside or between the teeth. Do your best to keep this area free from
food debris, by brushing, flossing and rinsing with warm salt water, if
needed, after each time you eat until you get in to see the dentist.
Apply
clove oil (which can be purchased at the drug store) to your tooth and
coat the inside of the crown with dental cement or toothpaste before
reinserting the crown and heading to the dentist.
At-home treatments for potential dental emergencies
The
following scenarios might be dental emergencies, or they might not be.
In some cases you can take action to fix the problem yourself, either
temporarily or permanently.
-
Objects stuck between teeth
Try to dislodge the object yourself using dental floss. If you can’t get it out yourself, call your dentist.
You
might be able to temporarily fix a broken brace wire by using the
eraser end of a pencil to push the wire into a more comfortable position
before you can see the orthodontist. If not, cover the sharp end with a
cotton ball or orthodontic wax and get thee to an orthodontist ASAP!
Is a toothache or tooth abscess a dental emergency?
Bad
toothaches and especially abscessed teeth are certainly a serious issue
and need to be addressed with haste. However, depending on the extent
of your symptoms, they don’t always constitute a dental emergency.
Call
your dentist if you have a throbbing toothache or other signs of a
tooth abscess — pimple-like swelling near gums, swollen neck glands,
foul breath or bitter taste — and she should be able to prescribe you
antibiotics over the phone to help address the infection before it’s
convenient to come into the office for treatment.
If the tooth infection
has caused swelling that threatens to block your airway, is causing you
difficulty breathing, or is accompanied by a high fever or nausea with
vomiting, then it can’t wait — you need to seek immediate medical
treatment.
It’s important to know how to deal with a dental
emergency, since waiting too long without taking action can cause you to
lose your tooth or even threaten your health. Be sure to share this
article with friends and family on Facebook to spread the word about
what to do in a dental emergency.