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Dental Emergencies: Do you know what to do?

TYPES OF DENTAL EMERGENCIES:

Severe pain

Common causes include injury, infection, broken teeth, abscess or pain following dental procedures. See a dentist immediately.

Toothache

Rinse mouth with warm water to clean it. Apply a cold compress. Use floss to remove any food trapped between teeth. Apply cold compress. Do not put heat or aspirin on aching area.

Abscesses

Likely caused by the death of a nerve inside the tooth or a gum infection. Untreated, an abscess could be life threatening. See a dentist immediately. Antibiotics/pain killers may be prescribed.

Displaced teeth

If a tooth is pushed inward or outward, reposition to normal alignment with light finger pressure. Do not force. Use a moist cloth or gauze to hold tooth in place; see a dentist within 30 minutes of injury.

Broken or fractured teeth

Minor fractures may be smoothed by a dentist using a sandpaper disc. Moderate to severe fractures may require more extensive treatment. See a dentist immediately.

MORE DENTAL AND MOUTH URGENCIES:

Injuries to soft tissues

Tears, cuts or punctures inside the cheeks, lips or tongue. Clean and treat immediately in an urgent care center or emergency department. For tongue laceration, pull tongue forward; apply pressure to area with clean gauze.

Broken or lost filling

If causing pain, take an over-the-counter pain medication until you can see your dentist. Don’t delay. Brush and floss to remove impacted foods; eat soft foods.

Canker sores

If a sore doesn’t heal within 10 days, see a dentist. Don’t put aspirin on the canker sore. A pharmacist can recommend a topical anesthetic to reduce discomfort.

First Aid for knocked-out teeth?

An estimated 0.5 to 1 million permanent teeth are knocked out annually in the U.K. If appropriate emergency procedures are followed and you bring the tooth to a dentist – ideally 30 minutes, but even within up to an hour or more – it may be possible to save the tooth.

What you should do?

• Find and pick up the tooth by the enamel or top portion of the tooth to prevent damage to the root.
• Handle the tooth as little as possible and do not touch the root surface.
• If dirty, gently rinse with water, but do not scrub or use soap or chemicals.
• If possible, replace the tooth into the socket immediately and hold in place with fingers or by gently biting down on it.
• If the tooth cannot be replaced in the socket, keep it moist at all times and do not wrap in a tissue or cloth.
• Transport the tooth to a dentist in an emergency tooth preservation kit, milk, mouth (next to cheek), or if none of these is practical, in clean water with a pinch of salt if possible.
• Get to the dentist as soon as possible.
• If replanted by a dentist within 15-30 minutes, there is a 90 percent chance the tooth will be retained for life.
• For baby or primary teeth, do not try to place it back into the socket. This could damage the formation of the permanent tooth bud. Seek immediate advice from a dentist.