Dental Emergencies
This entry was posted on 7/6/2009 10:08 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
I was called into the office last week to treat a child who experience trauma to the face and lip. He had a tooth knocked out. His mother treated him perfectly in this emergency and we were able to put the tooth back in.
Below are reminders of emergency dental treatment, from the American Dental Association:
Tips for Dealing with Dental Emergencies
Bitten Lip or Tongue
Clean the area gently with a cloth and apply cold compresses to reduce
any swelling. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, go to a hospital emergency
room immediately.
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Broken Tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area. Use cold compresses
on the area to keep any swelling down. Call your dentist immediately.
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Cracked
Tooth
- For the Dental Patient: Do You Have
a Cracked Tooth? | PDF file/28k
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Jaw-Possibly Broken
Apply cold compresses to control swelling. Go to your dentist or a
hospital emergency department immediately.
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Knocked Out Tooth
Hold the tooth by the crown and rinse off the root of the tooth in
water if it’s dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue
fragments. If possible, gently insert and hold the tooth in its socket.
If that isn’t possible, put the tooth in a cup of milk and get to the
dentist as quickly as possible. Remember to take the tooth with you!
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Objects Caught Between Teeth
Try to gently remove the object with dental floss; avoid cutting the
gums. Never use a sharp instrument to remove any object that is stuck
between your teeth. If you can’t dislodge the object using dental
floss, contact your dentist.
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Toothache
Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental
floss or an interdental cleaner to ensure that there is no food or
other debris caught between the teeth. Never put aspirin or any other
painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth because it may burn
the gum tissue. If the pain persists, contact your dentist.
