There are different dental emergencies that can occur and you need to be aware of your general oral health to ensure that you get the right treatment at the right time. This will help prevent further damage to your teeth and you will be able to restore your oral health.
The most common reason to visit the local emergency dentist is when you have a toothache. There are many reasons that you may be experiencing pain. One of the common reasons is tooth decay. Sometimes you may not need treatment for toothaches but it is best to get it checked by a dentist if you are seeing swelling or experiencing severe pain. It is best not to take any painkillers as these can burn the tissue and increase your pain further.
You can use a cold compress on the cheek to relieve some of the pain and call the nearest dental clinic to make an appointment. Healthy teeth are important when keeping up appearances and it can be a bit of a blow to your self-confidence when you are dealing with broken or chipped teeth. It can affect your smile and it can be painful as well. After the accident if there is any bleeding at the site, you need to rinse your mouth with warm water and place some clean gauze over the site of bleeding. You can use a cold compress on the outside of your face to get some relief from the pain. There are certain habits that can contribute to chipped teeth such as biting hard and crunchy food and playing contact sports without a mouth guard to protect your teeth.
If a tooth gets knocked out, you will need to pick the tooth up by its crown which is the part that you are used to seeing. If there is dirt on the tooth, you can rinse it but make sure that you don’t scrub too hard and remove tissue connected to the tooth. In some situations, you might be able to place the tooth back in its original location but you have to take care that you don’t put too much pressure on the socket. If reinserting is too difficult, fill a small container with milk or water that has a pinch of salt dissolved in it and place the tooth inside to preserve it and quickly head to a dental clinic for reinsertion.
If you are wearing braces and the orthodontics break such as a wire or bracket that sticks out, it can be very uncomfortable. The broken wires can poke your gums and cause pain. Once this happens, you have to push the wire to a more comfortable position so that it doesn’t scratch the inside of your mouth. You can also use some orthodontic wax or a cotton ball to cover the exposed end. If you have previously had a crown or filling done for a tooth, there is a possibility of them breaking. If you can find the crown, you can place it in a Ziploc bag and bring it to the dentist. For a temporary fix, you can use some sugarless gum to fill the cavity. Make sure that you put an appointment right away because there can be an infection to the site if you wait.
