A true dental emergency can happen anywhere and anytime. Most of the time, they are a result of an accident or neglected dental problems. It can be a car accident, a sports injury, or even biting into a bagel or sandwich.
It’s good to know, then, what to do should a dental emergency arise. There are some things you can do and some things you do not want to do! Here is some advice based on our own clinical experience:
- See or call your dentist immediately! A dental injury is serious. If left that way, it may cause even more health issues. The tooth or teeth that were knocked out need to be reimplanted within an hour after the accident. Delays may impede the dentist from placing it back into its socket.
- Do not touch the root of the knocked-out tooth. You can wash it off with milk or water.
- If possible, you can try to Re-insert the tooth into the socket. One way to make sure that the tooth survives is to place it back into its socket. Do it slowly. Biting gently on it may keep it from coming out again. This may not be possible, however, so keep it moist. Drop it in a travel mug of milk and take it to the dentist’s office as soon as possible.
- Save fragments or pieces of the tooth. The tooth may be chipped or broken. Save all of the pieces of the tooth and put them in a sandwich bag. It may help your dentist piece together the injury. If the gum is bleeding, place a piece of gauze in the gums until the bleeding stops. You can also place a cold compress outside the wound to relieve pain or swelling.
- Keep sharp objects out of the mouth. If there is something lodged in the teeth, don’t use a sharp object to remove it as this may cause further injury and bleeding. Instead, use mouthwash to loosen it or dental floss to remove the object. Flossing should be done carefully and gently. If you are not sure, leave it alone and let the dentist do it.
- Have a dental emergency kit available. Prepare an emergency dental care kit and know where it is when an emergency occurs. The kit should have the following:
- Alcohol wipes
- Band-aids
- Dental floss
- Cotton balls
- Gauze pads
- Tweezers
- Rubber gloves
- Pain-relieving medication
7. Be comforting. Don’t panic. Take the needed steps above and be as comforting and even as possible. Panicking only makes the emergency even worse.
8. If there is any type of swelling or fever from a tooth, contact your dentist immediately because the infection can travel to other parts of your body if left untreated.
Dental emergencies are common. Try to go for your routine cleanings and checkups so that problems can be detected early. If an emergency happens, stay calm. Call us and we will help guide you to what you should do.
If you have a dental emergency, contact All Smiles Bethesda. We can repair and restore damaged or loose teeth. If you would like to schedule an appointment for you or your family, please call us at 301-984-9646 or email us at info@allsmilesbethesda.com or lorraine@allsmilesbethesda.com.
We serve the Bethesda, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Washington, DC areas.