Knowing what kinds of injuries necessitate an urgent dental appointment will help you protect your family’s oral health while preventing needless trips to the ER. Accidents may occur whenever they choose. While certain mouth injuries can require emergency care, others might be able to wait until your dentist’s regular work hours start.
A athletics injury, a jump, or any other form of mishap can result in cracked, fractured, or knocked-out teeth, which can be caused by chewing or biting food with a rough texture. A chipped tooth or mild fracture may wait for a call to the dentist during business hours depending on the extent of the injury and the location of the tooth.
Therefore, you should seek emergency medical assistance if the break is significant, a sizable portion of the tooth is missing, the tooth has a nerve injury, or is fully knocked out.
What has to be done in emergency?
Start by giving your mouth a good rinse with warm water. To get rid of any stuck food, use dental floss. Use a cold compress on the cheek or the outside of your mouth if it is swollen. Never apply aspirin or any other pain reliever to the gums close to a hurting tooth since it might cause the gum tissue to burn. Visit the dentist as soon as you can.
Fractured or chipped teeth
Save any fragments. Warm water should be used to rinse the mouth, including any broken bits. Apply a piece of gauze to the area for about 10 minutes, or until the bleeding stops, if there is any bleeding. To reduce swelling and ease discomfort, place a cool compress on the exterior of the mouth, cheek, or lip next to the broken or chipped tooth. Visit the dentist as soon as you can.
Knocked-out tooth
If the tooth is unclean, remove it, hold it by the crown (the area that is often visible in the mouth), and rinse it with water. Don’t clean it or take out any tissue pieces that are still connected. Try to re-establish the tooth if at all feasible. Ensure the appropriate direction is facing. Do not push it into the socket. Put the tooth in a small bottle of milk if it is not possible to replace it in the socket (or a cup of water that contains a pinch of table salt, ). Visit your dentist right away in any situation. The teeth that are knocked out and put back in their socket within an hour after being knocked out have the best chance of survival.
Tooth that has partially extruded
Visit the dentist immediately. Apply a cold compress to the afflicted cheek or outside of the mouth until you can get to your dentist’s office to reduce discomfort.
Items getting trapped in the teeth
First, try lightly cleaning with tooth floss and take away the item with care. Visit your dentist if you are unable to remove the thing. Never prod the trapped object with a pin or other sharp object. These tools have the potential to damage your gums and tooth enamel.
Lost filling
Use an over-the-counter dental cement or place a piece of sugarless gum in the cavity as a temporary fix (gum with sugar will hurt). Visit the dentist as soon as you can.
Lost crown
Make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible and bring the crown with you if the crown comes off. Apply a little clove oil with a cotton swab to the painful tooth location if you can’t go to the dentist immediately soon (clove oil can be purchased at your local drug store or in the spice aisle of your grocery store). Put the crown back on the tooth if you can. To assist the crown stay in place, cover the inside surface with toothpaste, denture glue, or dental cement before doing so. Avoid using super glue!
Broken wires in braces
If a wire breaks or protrudes from a bracket or band and is pricking your face, tongue, or mouth, try pushing the wire into a more comfortable position with the eraser end of a pencil. If you are unable to adjust the wire, until you can reach your orthodontist’s office, cover the end with orthodontic wax, a tiny cotton ball, or a piece of gauze. Never cut the wire because you could swallow it or breathe it into your lungs if you do.
Unsecured bands and brackets
Using a little piece of orthodontic wax, temporarily reconnect any loose braces. As an alternative, apply the wax over the braces to act as padding. Visit your orthodontist right away. If the issue is a loose band, keep it and make an appointment with your orthodontist to have it fixed or replaced (and to have missing spacers replaced).
Abscess
Abscesses are infections that develop at a tooth’s base or between the gums and teeth. Abscesses are a dangerous disorder that can harm nearby teeth and surrounding tissue, and if left untreated, the infection may spread to other regions of the body. If you see a painful, pimple-like swelling on your gum, consult your dentist as soon as possible due to the significant oral health and overall health issues that can arise from an abscess. Try washing your mouth with a gentle salt-water solution (1/2 teaspoon table salt in 8 ounces of water) many times each day to relieve the pain and encourage the pus to come to the surface.
Soft tissue damage
Bleeding can happen as a result of injuries to the soft tissues, which include the tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips. Here’s what to do to stop the bleeding:
• Use a moderate saltwater rinse to clean your mouth.
• Press on the bleeding area with a piece of wet gauze or a tea bag. For 15 to 20 minutes, keep still.
• Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the afflicted region for 5 to 10 minutes to stop bleeding and ease discomfort.
· Visit your dentist straight soon or go to the emergency room of a hospital if the bleeding doesn’t stop. until you can be examined and treated, keep applying gauze pressure to the bleeding area.
