A dental emergency is usually caused by an accident or injury and can involve one or more teeth being loosened or knocked out, major cuts or lacerations to your gums, cheeks and lips or intense dental pain or discomfort for an unknown reason. If you find yourself experiencing any of the above and aren’t sure how to proceed, here’s what to do.
1. Seek Immediate Professional Dental Emergency Care
It’s imperative to seek immediate care. Visit a local dentist that offers emergency services. If it’s after hours, call ahead to confirm that there’s someone available to assist you.
2. Keep Injury As Clean As Possible
Wash out or rinse your mouth with warm water, especially if there’s been contact with another individual, the ground or any other surface. Do this very carefully and gently to avoid further injury. If any cloth or gauze is used, ensure it’s clean and sterile.
3. Reduce The Swelling & Pain
Use an icepack or cold compress to reduce swelling. Take aspirin for the pain, as well as an anti-inflammatory to alleviate the swelling. Make certain that you only consume medication that’s known to you to prevent side-effects or adverse reactions.
4. Repositioning A Loose Tooth
If you’ve had a tooth knocked out of place, try to ease it back into its socket using your fingertips. Avoid touching the root as this will cause further pain and nerve damage. Rather only handle the tooth by the crown. Don’t force the tooth back into place, instead just gentle maneuver it as best you can. You can also bite down on it softly to hold it in place.
5. Handling A Tooth No Longer Anchored To Your Mouth
If the tooth cannot be repositioned in the mouth, handle it with care and take it with you to the dentist (if it’s intact). Wrap it in a clean piece of gauze immersed in milk if these resources are available, or else keep it clean and moist.
There’s no need to panic when you have a plan in place, so the next time you have a dental emergency, follow the steps above and contact us to have your emergency dealt with as soon as possible. We keep appointments available each day for dental emergencies. Call us on 02 9262 7778 or complete our emergency appointment request form.
