Caring for Dental Emergencies Until You Can See a Dentist

Chipped teeth, tooth decay, and gum disease are some of the most common dental emergencies. While prevention coupled with good dental care is optimal to preserve your oral health, understanding what you must do when confronted by a dental emergency helps prevent severe damage and potentially helps save your teeth.

What dental situations might you confront, and how do you deal with them? With prompt and immediate responses and the appropriate first aid, you help prevent long-term damage and restore your oral health. Emergency dental care is also a requirement you cannot overlook.

Some Common Dental Emergencies

• Toothache: Tooth pain never indicates anything good. On the contrary, it might be a sign of tooth decay. Many toothaches are comfortably manageable without emergency care. Unfortunately, if the toothache is accompanied by swelling, you might require immediate attention. In such cases, you must not rely on standard remedies like taking painkillers or applying aspirin over your gums because it can burn the tissue. Instead, you can use a cold compress outside your cheek and call the dentist in Hamilton, offering emergency care. After providing the essential treatment, the dentist will emphasize the importance of excellent dental hygiene as a preventive measure against cavities, tooth decay, and other severe dental problems.
• Chipped or Broken Teeth: Weren’t you careful when biting on hard foods? If you weren’t, you might have chipped or broken teeth. Such instances don’t just ruin your smile but also cause pain. Before you get to the emergency dentist nearby, rinse your mouth with warm water and use gauze on the affected tooth if it’s bleeding. Use a cold compress on your cheeks near the chipped or broken tooth to alleviate pain and swelling. When you seek emergency attention, the dentist will suggest that you remain conscious when biting down on hard and crunchy foods besides sporting activities that can cause your teeth to chip and break from impacts on your mouth.
• Knocked-out Teeth: If an impact on your mouth results in a knocked-out tooth, pick it up, holding it by the Crown and rinse it if dirty. Do not consider scrubbing the roots because it might damage the tissue fragments. Depending on the harshness of your injury, you can place the tooth back into its socket. Unfortunately, if you cannot reinsert the tooth, preserve it in a tiny milk container and head to emergency dentistry in Hamilton, ON, for emergency restoration. You must reach the dentist’s office within 30 minutes to have the tooth successfully splinted to the adjacent teeth for its roots to reattach in a couple of months.
• Lost Crowns or Fillings: Dental restorations like crowns and fillings help restore damaged teeth. Unfortunately, they can break or fall off to need treatment as soon as possible to avoid further damage or infections. Before getting to the dentist, try sticking a piece of sugar-free gum in the cavity without trying to fix the tooth yourself to prevent damage. You can also carry the Lost Crown to the dentist’s office for reapplication or receive a new Crown.
• Dental Abscess: You might have a severe infection if you develop a dental abscess near the roots of your tooth or the space between your teeth. A dental abscess can spread to the neighbouring teeth and gum tissue if left untreated. If you are uncertain whether you have a dental abscess check your gums for swelling or a painful pimple. If you notice anything untoward, call the Hamilton dental clinic immediately for an appointment to prevent the problem from worsening. Meanwhile, rinse your mouth with salt water and apply ice to the swollen area to alleviate discomfort.
• Tooth Extraction Pain and Bleeding: Pain and bleeding are expected after tooth extraction. However, if you experience discomfort beyond an hour, it is time to contact your dentist. Meanwhile, you can place a piece of gauze over the extraction site applying pressure by biting down on it. You must avoid rinsing, eating, drinking, smoking, or spitting until you receive treatment from the Hamilton dentist.

Preventing Dental Emergencies

Although you might find it challenging to prevent dental emergencies, you can take precautions to avoid them by using mouthguards when playing sports, keeping an eye on the foods you have and refraining from chewing on objects harmful to your teeth.

If you confront a dental emergency of the variety described, you can take the measures suggested without overlooking a visit to Jackson Square Dental Center to have the problem dealt with by a dental professional providing emergency care when needed. Use the suggestions mentioned but contact the practice immediately for an emergency appointment to prevent worsening of the damage.