What To Do When you Have a Dental Emergency

Just like any emergency situation, a dental emergency is totally unexpected. From biting down too hard, suddenly feeling a surge of pain, or accidentally getting hit with a baseball, staying calm and knowing what to do next will help you manage any kind of dental emergency.

Knowing what to do when you have a dental emergency depends on the situation so you know what requires immediate care or when to implement some remedies right at home.

We’ll discuss some of the most common types of dental emergencies and what you should do next in these types of situations.

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Cracked or Broken Tooth

If your dental emergency involves a cracked tooth, the first important step is to rinse your mouth with warm water. Locate the fragments of your tooth and carefully rinse them as so you can take them to your dentist.

To help reduce any possible swelling, place a cold wash cloth over the area with the cracked tooth. If you’re in any pain, taking ibuprofen may help, but it’s best to schedule an appointment right away with your dentist. They can provide stronger pain relief and fix your tooth right away.

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Loss of Permanent Tooth

More than 5million teeth are knocked out every year in the U.S. and this type of dental emergency requires quick action.

If you can, find the missing tooth and by holding just the crown, gently rinse it with water. While still holding it by the crown, try to place it back in your mouth and get to a dentist immediately (preferably within30 minutes). You may have to hold it in place with your finger or gently bite down during this time. By placing it back in the mouth, this helps preserve it.

If it’s not possible to hold the tooth in place, you can also keep it in milk. The milk will also help preserve the tooth and a dentist may be able to place the tooth back permanently in your mouth.

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Painful Toothache

If you start to have a painful toothache, there are a variety of factors that could be causing this dental emergency. It could be an infection, abscess, or perhaps the need for a root canal. Call your dentist right away and to manage the pain, clean your mouth with warm saltwater and place a cold washcloth if you experience ay swelling. Ibuprofen may help dull the pain, but only having the dentist treat the toothache will it go away completely.

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Bleeding From The Mouth

Your mouth is built to avoid bleeding, so if you experience bleeding there could be a few different causes that you should not ignore.

If you notice bleeding while flossing, this could be a chronic condition such as gum disease or gingivitis. You should schedule to see your dentist, but it’s not quite a “life or death” emergency yet, but you should not ignore it. There is a strong link between gum disease and other health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

But if you notice blood randomly in your saliva, it could be a sign of something much more advanced and should schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If you just had a tooth removed and notice the area is still bleeding, see your dentist immediately.

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Lost Filling

This dental emergency requires an immediate visit to the doctor. Call your dentist's office to make an appointment!

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3 Steps For Handling Any Dental Emergency

No matter the dental emergency, it can be stressful. Here are some helpful steps so you can handle your emergency like a professional!

1.     Breathe: Simple, yet effective. Breathe deeply so you can stay calm and think clearly

2.     Assess and Act: What happened and what is the issue? Assess the situation so you can determine what you need to do next and explain it to the dentist. For example: If you lost a tooth, follow the steps above to salvage it.

3.     Call the dentist: Explain as much as possible and schedule an appointment right away if needed. The dentist can also provide you any additional tips.

While you may not be able to prevent all dental emergencies, your dentist can also provide you daily tips on how to improve your oral health so you can help avoid some dental emergencies in the future.