What Should You Do in a Dental Emergency?

Have you ever fallen and hurt your tooth? What did you do? On the other hand, have you experienced a toothache that does not subside even after taking a painkiller? The truth is there are different forms of dental emergencies. Knowing what to do is essential in ensuring you don’t cause more damage to your affected tooth, and what you do can save the life of your tooth.

This article will help you know what to do during a dental emergency and the importance of looking for an emergency dentist near you. So, let’s get into it.

What Is a Dental Emergency?

A dental emergency can be defined as any situation that needs urgent attention to reduce discomfort, pain, and injury to the affected person. It is essential to know that losing your dental appliances, like a tooth filling or having a chipped veneer, is not considered a dental emergency.

What Are Some Common Dental Emergencies?

Here are some common dental emergencies:

• Jaw or tooth pain.
• Soft tissue injury.
• Broken jaw.
• Stuck objects in your mouth or gums.
• Toothaches.
• Aching or bleeding gums.
• Broken or cracked teeth.
• Fallen or knocked out teeth.

What Should I Do First in Dental Emergencies?

Now that you know some common dental emergencies acting when faced with one is essential. But first, you should call the dentist in Decatur. It is crucial to call the dentist near you because they will tell you what to do in such a situation.

Tips For Handling Dental Emergencies

After calling the dentist, he will advise you on what to do during the dental emergency. Here are some tips that will help during different dental emergencies.

Soft Tissue Injury

The soft tissues in your mouth include the tongue, hard palate, cheeks, lips, and gums. Trauma can cause injury to these soft tissues. You should clean the injured spot with water and apply a cold compress when this happens. The importance of the cold compress is to reduce bleeding and swelling. If doing these doesn’t help, you go to the dentist’s office near you so that the dentist can stitch the injured part to reduce swelling.

Broken Jaw

If you engage in a sport or accidentally have a knock on your jaw, it can break. Having a broken jaw can be quite painful. Therefore, apply a cold compress on the injured part. The cold compress will reduce swelling in your jaw area. Dr. Erwin M. Ricafort recommends looking for immediate dental care after applying the cold compress.

Aching or Bleeding Gums

Gum disease can lead to bleeding gums. The condition can also cause pain in your gums whenever you brush your teeth. Rinse your mouth with salt water. Rinsing with salt water is essential because it reduces inflammation of your gums and further infection. You should seek immediate dental assistance so the dentist can treat the gum disease.

Knocked Out Tooth

If you can spot the knocked-out tooth, collect it by its crown and rinse it with clean water. Then, you can try and put the tooth back into its socket. Ensure you do not touch the tooth’s roots to avoid damaging them.

If the pain is unbearable and you cannot put the tooth back, dip it into a glass of milk. The point is to keep the tooth as moist as possible. Moreover, milk has crucial nutrients to ensure the survival of the tooth’s cells.

Toothache

When you experience immense pain in your tooth, soak a cotton ball in clove oil and bite on it. You should consult Dr. Erwin M. Ricafort about which over-the-counter painkillers you can take before going for emergency dental services.

How To Prevent Future Dental Emergencies

During contact sports, your teeth are at risk of getting injured. So, you should wear a sports mouth guard to prevent damaging your teeth and soft tissues in your mouth.

In addition, you should avoid chewing hard foods like nuts and ice, which can lead to cracks and breaking teeth. Habits like opening bottle tops with your teeth should be avoided as they can lead to wearing off teeth.

Do You Need Emergency Dental Care? Contact The Ricafort Dental Group – Murfreesboro Today.

When faced with any dental emergency, you should consult your emergency dentist as soon as possible. After doing so, head to Ricafort Dental Group – Murfreesboro so that we take a look at your teeth and alleviate your pain or injury.