Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies can happen to anyone, anywhere: from a blow to the teeth in an active sport to a foreign object lodged under the gum. Regardless of the nature of the emergency, dental injury can be painful.
If you or a loved one has a dental emergency we want you to keep our phone number handy. In case of emergencies, call us, night or day. If the call is after regular office hours you will be instructed what to do and our doctor will get in touch with you right away.
We won’t leave you hurting.
However, to help you know how to deal with common emergencies we have prepared this outline of what to do in the case of a dental emergency. Please take a minute to read through these common emergencies and their treatment. This way you will know beforehand what to do when a dental emergency strikes.
- Toothache
- Chipped Tooth
- Broken Tooth
- Knocked-out Tooth
- Lost Filling or Crown
- Something Stuck Between your Teeth
- Injury to Lips, Cheeks or Gums
- Jaw Injury or Possible Fracture
- Sports Injuries
The most common dental concern, and the most frequent reason why patients call their dentist, is toothache. A toothache is any dental pain in or around a tooth. The cause can be anything from a cavity that has reached a nerve, an abscess or infection, sensitivity to hot or cold or something lodged between teeth or under the gums.
A toothache tells you that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. Even though the following information may help reduce or even eliminate toothache pain, this is only temporary. You need to call your dentist as soon as possible so we can correct the cause of the pain.
First, try rinsing your mouth out with warm water, swishing it around the sore tooth. Then, carefully floss around the tooth to see if there is anything that could be lodged under the gumline or between teeth
You may also rinse your mouth with warm salt water. Mix about ½ teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm (not hot) water. Vigorously swish it around in your mouth for about a minute then spit it out. You can then dab, using a cotton swab, clove oil directly on the painful tooth. Clove oil helps kill bacteria plus it is a remarkable and natural numbing anesthetic. Take ibuprophen (Advil®, Mortin®) or acetametaphen (Tylenol®) according to directions to help further ease the pain. You can reapply the clove oil every hour until you are able to see us.
If you should have a tooth that is chipped, usually due to a blow, check, first, to see if it is causing actual tooth pain as opposed to pain associated with the blow. Rinse your mouth and, specifically, the tooth with warm water. If there is no sensitivity to pressure, if it’s not bleeding, or if cold air doesn’t increase the pain, then the chip is probably not very deep. At your earliest convenient time schedule an appointment. Our doctor will check the extent of the damage and can smooth the jagged edges of the tooth, apply a composite material to build the tooth back up or use another of our many dental options to restore the appearance and function of your bite and smile.
If the tooth is painful, especially if it is very sensitive to heat or cold, the tooth nerve may be affected. Call our office immediately and we’ll see you right away. Try to avoid hot or cold drinks, food or even cold air. You can use clove oil to reduce the pain and protect against bacteria and take your preferred over-the-counter pain medication (aspirin
A cracked or broken tooth should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent increased damage. A broken tooth is generally caused by a strike or blow to the tooth. A crack may be caused by a strike, but it could also be caused by pressure from biting or grinding, specially on a tooth that may be compromised from other dental weakness, such as a cavity.
If you have a cracked or broken tooth, call our office right away for an appointment. In the meantime, rinse the mouth and tooth with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup of water). You can then apply a drop of clove oil using a cotton swab directly on the break or crack to help numb the pain. You can also take your preferred over-the-counter pain medication (aspirin, ibuprophen – such as Advil® or Mortin® –º or acetametaphen – such as Tylenol®). Try to avoid hot or cold air or liquids as the tooth will be very sensitive to temperature.
If you or a child has a tooth knocked out hold the tooth by the crown (the part you bit and chew with) gently rinse the tooth in water (don’t scrub it or remove any tissue) and first try to reimplant it into the socket. If a tooth is left out of the socket for more than an hour its ability to grow back is greatly diminished. If you are unable to put the tooth back in, put it in a cup with siliva or milk or just put it in your mouth to keep it from drying out. Call our office immediately then come on in.
Fillings and crowns may sometimes loosen and fall out. This is rarely a dental emergency but it can be painful because the soft, exposed surface of the tooth is more sensitive to pressure, air and hot or cold temperatures. If you discover you have a filling or crown that has come out (usually while you are eating) don’t panic. You can discard the filling as it won’t be of any use in repairing the tooth, but if it’s a crown, keep it in a safe place to bring with you when you come to see us.
Call our office so we can see you at your earliest convenience. Please don’t wait too long as the exposed tooth is weak and could become damaged. If the tooth is sensitive take a cotton swab and dab a drop of clove oil on the exposed part of the tooth. You can purchase clove oil in pharmacies or in the spice aisle of most supermarkets.
If you have the crown, carefully clean it out as best you can. There are temporary dental cements available in the dental section of your pharmacy that you can use to cement your crown back into place until you can come in. Or, you can use petroleum jelly as a temporary adhesive. Please do not use household cements on crowns (such as “superglue”) as they are not safe to put in your mouth and can damage the tooth and the crown.
You can also use dental cement to cover the tooth or fill the exposed part of the tooth to help seal out bacteria and food particles. But remember, these are all just temporary solutions. Call our office right away so we can see you and restore the health of your teeth.
A common cause of tooth pain or discomfort is hard food or other foreign object stuck between your teeth or below your gums. One of the more common stuck objects is popcorn kernels or skins. If not removed a foreign object can cause pain or irritation and could even lead to infection.
If you have something caught between your teeth or below the gums gently floss your teeth to try to remove the object. You may even tie a simple knot in the floss and use it to dislodge the object.
Please, never poke a sharp object such as a pin or something similar to that as it may cut your gums or scratch the enamel surface of your tooth. If you are unable to get the object out give us a call.
We’ve all done it. We’ve been merrily enjoying a meal or snack when we’ve bitten the inside of our check or lip. And it seems that only minutes later we bite the same place again, which is now even more sensitive.
Injury to the mouth, cheeks, lips and tongue can be very sensitive and painful, regardless of whether they are self-inflicted or caused by an outside force. When you have injured the soft tissues of the mouth there is generally little bleeding, but if there is it will generally stop in just a few minutes.
If you have an injury to the soft tissue of your mouth do the following:
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Rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm saltwater (1/2 teaspoon to one cup of water).
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If there is bleeding or swelling place a small rolled piece of damp gauze to soak up the blood or to hold the cheek away from being bitten again.
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To slow bleeding or reduce swelling hold ice to the area for five or 10 minutes.
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If the bleeding doesn’t stop within a few minutes the injury may be serious. Call us for instructions and so we can see you right away. If it appears more serious go to the emergency room of your hospital.
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In the event of a severe accident or facial trauma there is the possibility of a broken jaw. If you think your jaw might be broken or seriously injured, apply a cold compress to the area to minimize swelling. Call us immediately or go to the emergency room of the hospital.
Dentists estimate that anywhere from 13% to 39% of dental injuries occur while playing sports. Of that it is estimated that nearly 80% of all dental injures affect one or more of the front teeth. Further, SafeChild.net reports that 60% of organized sports-related injuries occur during practice, not during the game.
Sports injuries can cause any of the previous emergency situations already outlined. If you or a family member participates in sports or active recreational pursuits we recommend two types of safety precautions to minimize injury and dental emergencies:
Helmets – If you participate in any activity involving speed or impact (football, skateboarding, biking, downhill skiing, etc.) wear an appropriate helmet. Please make sure it fits correctly and is worn properly.
Mouth Guards – Wearing a properly fitted mouth guard is one of the best ways to prevent a sudden trip to our office. Replacing a knocked-out tooth can cost as much as 20 times the cost of a custom-made mouth guard. Learn more about the types of mouth guards available by clicking here.
Remember, the best emergency treatment is prevention.
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