It has happened to all of us, happy hour on Friday afternoon and we break a tooth on the free popcorn. Sunday morning and the kids are riding their bikes, there is a crash and one of their adult teeth is knocked out. What to do? First of all it is very helpful if you have a dentist with extended hours to cover these unfortunate situations.
There are other situations, you wake up on a Tuesday morning with a toothache, is this a dental emergency? Probably not, best to gently floss your teeth, rinse your mouth well and if needed take some acetminophen. Wait thirty minutes and see how you feel.
So what would be a real dental emergency?
A chipped tooth or cracked tooth
For a chipped or cracked tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water and place an ice pack on the face wrapped in a clean cloth to help prevent swelling.
An adult tooth knocked out.
Wash your hands thoroughly. Do not touch the root or socket and try to place the tooth back in the socket. If this is not possible either place the tooth between your cheek & gum, or in a small amount of milk, and see your dentist as soon as possible
Excessive pain
For excessive pain, gently clean your mouth and see your dentist as soon as possible.
Persistent pain
For persistent pain continue to care for your teeth as you would routinely with twice a day brushing and gentle flossing and see your dentist as soon as possible.
Foreign objects stuck in the teeth
Try to gently remove with dental floss. Do not ever put anything sharp or
pointed into the mouth.
If you find yourself in the situation where you need a new dentist, consider the hours of availability and the provision of emergency services after hours. Luckily, Castlebury Dental has extended hours to help you in situations like these.
Give us a call by clicking here.