Dental emergencies happen all the time. Dentists deal with emergency dental care, like broken teeth, severely painful mouth injuries, lost dental crowns, etc. every day. In such emergency cases, there are some important things that you can do for immediate dental attention. When dental emergencies happen, a quick prevention and response from your end might make a big difference. During dental emergencies, it is obvious that the first person to call will be your family dentist.
But until your dental appointment is fixed you can use these helpful guidelines to mitigate your dental problem.
- If you have a toothache, you should rinse your mouth with warm water. You can also gently use dental floss to carefully remove any food or foreign object that is caught between your teeth. Do not make the mistake of putting an aspirin on your painful teeth or gums.
- Avoid sharp or pointed instruments to remove any object that is stuck in your mouth, just floss it!
- If you accidentally bite your tongue or lip, clean the bitten area gently with water and apply cold compression, which will reduce the pain and swelling. If the bleeding is profuse, you should seek emergency care.
- If your permanent adult tooth is knocked out, you should handle it carefully without touching the root and put it in some milk. Contact a dentist immediately as it may be able to be replanted.
These few simple precautions from your end will help in prevention of dental emergencies.
- You should never use your teeth to open bottle caps or cut things. What are bottle openers and scissors for?
- When you participate in sports or any other recreational activities, wear a mouth guard to prevent any injury or dental accident.
- Avoid chewing ice, hard candies, popcorn kernels, or any other hard food items, which can cause your teeth to crack or damage.
Stay calm during an emergency situation. You can call Expressions Dental™ in Calgary. We offer extended hours. Don’t hesitate to contact us at +1 (403) 252 7733.