Do You Know What To Do In A Dental Emergency?

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 29 Jul 2010 - 9:00 PDT

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Having to deal with a dental emergency is not something people think about. However, being prepared can make the difference between saving or losing a tooth. And in the case of a toothache, if it involves a bacterial infection, it can be a life-threatening situation.

Here are a couple of common dental emergency situations and what to do about them.

A tooth is knocked out

This is a very common sports injury. First, call your emergency dentist if you have one. It is imperative that you get to the dentist in thirty minutes. Always handle the tooth by the crown and not the root. Rinse the tooth in water to remove any contaminants. If possible, store the tooth in the mouth of the injured person between the cheek and gum. If you can't get to the dentist in thirty minutes, gently but firmly replace the tooth in the socket until you can get to the dentist.

You're suffering with a toothache

Toothaches can be more dangerous than any physical trauma to a tooth. Rinse your mouth out with warm water and place some kind of cold compress against your cheek for twenty minutes to reduce the swelling. Then use twenty minutes of mild heat and then back to the cold compress.

Don't put any kind of pain medication against the gum. The pain medication could burn the gum and cause more problems. The greatest risk comes if the toothache is from a bacterial infection. If left untreated, this could become life threatening.

Source:
Shamblott Family Dentistry

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