Dental emergencies could occur at any moment. It could be as severe as a broken tooth owing to an accident, or as minor as something stuck in between your teeth. Whatever the matter be, it has to be treated with proper care.
How do you ensure that you have the perfect knowledge of what to do in any sort of dental emergency? To address that, the following are the most common dental emergencies and what you should do in each of those situations.
Something caught in between your teeth
First and foremost, do not use a pin or any sharp object to pick it out. This might injure your gum and make the matter worse. Always use a floss to remove whatever is stuck in between the teeth.
Start gently and only floss rigorously if the object still doesn’t come out. Even still if you are unable to pick it out, see a dentist the next morning.
Broken braces
In case a wire breaks and pokes your inner mouth, the first thing you can consider is to put orthodontic wax at the end of the wire. If you do not have an orthodontic wax, use a pencil eraser to position it comfortably.
Do make sure to visit an orthodontist as soon as you can, and do not try to cut the wire off!
Suspected abscess
If you suspect an abscess (a bacterial infection that occurs between the gum and teeth or in the root of a tooth), do not waste any time in consulting your dentist. This is a serious oral health issue that could be highly consequential if left untreated.
Until your dentist sees you, keep rinsing your mouth with saltwater, twice or thrice a day. This would help in drawing the pus to the surface.
A crown falls off!
Firstly, do not panic. Before booking an immediate appointment with your dentist, try to put the crown back in place by using a dental adhesive or a toothpaste.
If unable to do so, you may use a cotton swab and put a little clove oil on it and apply it to the area. This is to reduce the pain.
Partially uprooted tooth
Visit your dentist immediately. Until then, apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel to the outside of the cheek, instead of having painkillers straight away.
Uprooted tooth / broken tooth
This is likely to occur from an accident. If you have an uprooted tooth, try to put it back in the socket but do not force it down. If you are unable, save the broken or uprooted tooth, rinse your mouth with water and wash away any tooth fragments from the mouth.
If you’re bleeding, ensure to put a gauze to the area until the bleeding stops. Visit the dentist as soon as you can!
Toothaches
If you experience unusual toothaches, rinse your mouth with warm saltwater. Do this twice a day. Floss gently to check if there is any food particle stuck in there. If the pain persists, book an appointment with your dentist.
Loose braces
Use orthodontic wax to reattach the loose braces. Following that, call your orthodontist right away to book an appointment!
Any sort of oral injury
In case of any injury, use an ice pack wrapped around a towel and apply it to your cheek for not more than 10 minutes at a time. If you’re bleeding, use a tea bag and apply it to the injured area for around 15 minutes. You may even consider rinsing your mouth with warm water. If the condition does not improve see a dentist right away.
In the event of any dental emergency, consulting a dentist is a necessity if the condition does not improve for you any time soon. It is important to treat the emergency as soon as possible to prevent any further consequences arising from the situation.