The vast majority of dental emergencies occur out of the blue. Whether it’s a ball taking an errant bounce and winding up hitting your mouth, or an overzealous rebounder swinging an elbow that connects with your face or waking up in the middle of the night with extreme tooth pain, it’s hard to be prepared for something unpredictable.
But when it comes to these, preparation is key. It’s far better to have a plan for something that may not happen than the opposite. Yes, it can be impossible to foresee every scenario – a zombie invasion is STILL in the realm of fiction, after all. But when you’re talking about your teeth, something that you use for so many things, it’s best to be prepared.
Here is what to do in the event of a dental emergency.
If The Tooth Has Been Knocked Out
There are few things more visceral than suddenly realizing that there is a gap in the space where there used to be an adult tooth. Don’t panic. Do these things to improve the odds in your favor
- Locate the Tooth – This may seem like a no-brainer, but things happen in the heat of the moment. Find the tooth and inspect it. Is it whole?
- Clean The Tooth – You don’t want to be putting a dirty tooth back in your mouth. Clean it off with water.
- See if You Can Reinsert It – There is a possibility that you can put it back in the original space until you get the tooth looked at by a professional. The root has to be intact for that.
- Preserve The Tooth – If you can’t reinsert the tooth, then you need to make sure that it’s preserved. Put it in a glass of milk or in a special solution that you can buy at a drugstore. Take that with you to the emergency dentist.
If the Tooth Is Chipped or Cracked
You bit down on a piece of food and felt a crack. Your tooth is now chipped or cracked. It’s got to be fixed to keep it from worsening. Sometimes this happens because a tooth was weakened due to a large filling. You can:
- Get The Tooth Filled – This is in the event that the crack or chipping is small. The dentist can fill it using tooth-colored composite and smooth it so that no one will even know that there is a filling.
- Get a Crown – You may have to get this if the crack is very large or if it’s due to the large filling. The crown is a protective cover that will keep the tooth from getting injured even more.
If The Tooth Hurts
Having sudden tooth pain is quite startling. It can show itself in a variety of ways – like pain when you drink something hot or cold. You may have a foul taste in your mouth or there may be swelling, If you have any of the above symptoms, you need to go see a dentist as fast as possible. In the interim, do the following:
- Rinse Out Your Mouth With Warm Salt Water – This will help clean out your mouth of harmful bacteria.
- Apply Ice to Swelling – If there is swelling, the ice will help keep it from getting too bad. Apply it for roughly 20 minutes at a time.
- Apply Topical Numbing Gel to Sore Tooth – There is gel that can numb the pain for enough time for you to get to the dentist.
- Take Painkillers like Tylenol or Ibuprofen – This can also make any pain manageable, but if it doesn’t, that is another sign that you should make your way to the emergency dentist as soon as possible
It’s important to know what is a dental emergency and what is not. If you bit your lip or banged your cheek, that is not usually an emergency. Only go if the bleeding does not stop quickly or the swelling does not go down. In many cases it can be managed on its own. While caution is advised, common sense also has to play a big part in the matter.
The biggest defense you can do is to brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily while using a mouthwash. Eat healthy foods and you will have strong teeth. Wear a mouthguard when playing sports – those can protect against a lot of injuries. Have things like gauze and other items at home to be ready if something does happen. This is not living in a state of fear – it’s a state of preparation.
When it comes to these dental emergencies, the staff at Hagerstown Dentist can help you regain your smile. Whether it’s saving the teeth or replacing them with dentures or dental implants, they will show you the best steps from the very minute you walk into the office. Come see them at either their Hagerstown – (301) 200-9585 – office.
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Hagerstown Dentist
Hagerstown Location
1303 Pennsylvania Ave.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
Phone: (301) 200-9585
