August 17, 2021
Dental emergencies are not fun. They can include pain, swelling, broken teeth, or knocked-out teeth. What should you do when you have a dental emergency? Here’s a step-by-step guide for the most common emergencies.
Painful, Throbbing Toothache
If you’re experiencing severe pain in your tooth or gums, it’s hard to think about anything else. You should call us right away. To deal with the pain until we see you, it can help to rinse your mouth with warm saltwater. If there’s swelling, apply a cold compress. Avoid very hot, cold, sugary, or acidic liquids and foods since these aggravate the pain further. Over-the-counter pain medication can help in the short term, though you should ask us before you take anything.
A Chipped/Broken Tooth or Restoration
As soon as you notice you’ve chipped or broken your tooth, see if you can find any fragments. We may be able to bond it back together, but if you can’t find any pieces, don’t panic. Wash your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress if you’re in pain. Depending on the severity of the break, we might not need to see you right away. Until we do, be careful when eating and brushing.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Getting a permanent tooth knocked out is one of the scarier emergencies. If possible, try and find the tooth. Pick it up by the crown and rinse it off. Place it back into the socket and bite down on a piece of gauze to hold it in place. If this doesn’t work, put the tooth in a cup of milk. You can also hold the tooth in your cheek if you’re confident you won’t swallow it. Call us immediately and bring the tooth with you. The sooner you can get to us, the better chance we’ll have to re-implant it.
Tooth Abscess
An abscess on your gums near your teeth indicates that a pocket has filled with pus and is infected. This is not something that will clear up on its own so contact us immediately. Infection that is left untreated can result in serious consequences to your health.
Dental Emergencies at Dental Wellness Phoenixville
You can avoid some dental emergencies by taking care of your teeth and visiting us regularly for cleaning and preventive exams. We also recommend that our patients wear mouthguards when playing sports and chew hard foods carefully. It’s also a good idea to keep an emergency dental kit around just in case! At our office, we don’t charge for emergency exams or X-rays. You only pay for treatment. If you have any more questions about what to do in an emergency or are interested in another service, please get in touch today!
Image by Authority Dental under CC 2.0
