Save Your Mouth: Things to Remember in a Dental Emergency

Not only are dental emergencies stressful, any injury to teeth or gums can be potentially serious and should be handled with special care! That’s why Dental Solutions of Avon is here to help with this guide for what to do in different common dental emergencies.

One of the most important things to motivate you during a dental emergency is that permanent damage can occur, causing extensive and expensive treatments later down the road. There are several key things to remember in a dental emergency. Don’t delay seeking treatment for any of the following:

Chipped or Broken Teeth

Save any pieces you can find, rinsing them carefully and storing as hygienically as possible. Rinse your mouth with warm water only, and apply gauze if there is any bleeding. A cold compress can be used to alleviate any swelling or pain. Contact Dental Solutions right away for this type of dental emergency.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Retrieve the tooth if possible, but only handle it by the crown (the part you normally see) as you don’t want to damage or contaminate the roots. Very gently rinse the tooth with lukewarm water, but only if it is dirty. You don’t want to further damage the tooth! If possible, try to put the tooth back in place in your mouth, but do not force it. Be sure not to put it in backwards. If it isn’t possible to reinsert it, place the tooth in a small container of milk or warm water with a tiny pinch of salt. Contact us as soon as possible, too. A knocked-out tooth has the best chance of being saved if you are seen within one hour of the incident.

Lost Filling or Crown

A dislodged filling can be temporarily held in place with dental cement (available over-the-counter) until you can get to your dentist. If a crown falls off, make an appointment as soon as possible and keep the crown in a hygienic container. You can slip the crown back on and hold it in place with dental cement, denture adhesive, or even toothpaste, but we’ll need to reattach it as soon as possible.

Abscess

Abscesses are serious and need to be dealt with as soon as possible. They are infections around the root or in-between the teeth and gums. This type of infection can spread to other parts of the body. They also cause immense pain and can do serious damage to gums, teeth, and the jaw bones. They could even eventually cause teeth to fall out. Due to the serious nature of an oral abscess, contact Dental Solutions immediately if you spot a pimple-like swelling on your gums. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water to ease pain and draw the pus to the surface. DO NOT attempt to squeeze or puncture the abscess to make it drain! This can cause infection in other areas of the mouth.

When in doubt or in pain, call our experienced, compassionate dental staff at Dental Solutions of Avon immediately to seek emergency dental treatment!