There are some steps that you can follow to take care of a dental emergency until you can see your dentist. Here are some tips from our Edmonton dentists on how to handle a dental emergency at home.
What is a dental emergency?
A dental emergency is any problem with your teeth, gums or mouth that requires urgent dental care. If you experience any of the following, please contact your dentist immediately.
A knocked out or loosened tooth.
Knocked out teeth are most often the result of an impact to the face or jaw.
A fractured, cracked or chipped tooth
Cracks and chips can come about as a result of trauma to your face or mouth, excessive teeth grinding, a cavity, or accidentally biting down on something too hard.
Severe Toothache
A toothache may be characterized by either a dull or sharp pain, and can be caused by damaged fillings, tooth decay, gum disease or an abscess.
Dislodged Crown or Loose Fillings
As a result of trauma, or poor maintenance of your dental work, a dental restoration may become dislodged.
How To Prepare for a Dental Emergency at Home?
You can never tell when a dental emergency might take place, so it can be helpful to be prepared. We advise our patients to have the following items in an at-home first aid kit in case of a dental emergency:
- An over-the-counter pain killer (like ibuprofen)
- a small container with a lid to preserve a knocked out tooth
- gauze
- an ice pack
How do I handle an emergency at home?
If you injure your mouth, step one is to quell any bleeding using your gauze.
If you have lost a tooth (or a piece of a tooth), try to locate it. Once found, dust off any debris (do not rise with water). If possible, place the tooth carefully into the socket, and bite down gently. If you can't put the tooth back into the socket, add some milk to your lidded container, and place the tooth inside.
Preserving the tooth or the piece of tooth in this way will make it more likely that your dentist will be able to replace it.
If you are experiencing pain or swelling, take your painkiller (following the instructions on the bottle carefully for the recommended dose), and apply your icepack to the area.
Call our office as soon as you are safe and comfortable, and we will make room in our schedule to see you as soon as possible.