Dental Emergencies – How Do You Deal With Them?
Since dental emergencies will almost always take you by surprise, you may not know the best way of handling the situation when faced with it. The first point of note is that you should stay calm so that you do not aggravate the damage that has occurred. The second thing to bear in mind is that you need to visit an emergency dentist as soon as possible, as this could increase your chances of saving a tooth and reducing the potential of adverse long-term effects. Here are other vital tips for dealing with a variety of dental emergencies.
Dealing with an abscess
Dental abscesses are characterised by being excruciatingly painful. Some sores may even cause some bleeding. Therefore, it would be essential to rinse the affected area with warm water to get rid of any dirt that may have made its way into the affected area. Once the abscess is cleaned, the patient can enlist some paracetamol to help ease the pain as you make your way to your nearest dental clinic.
Dealing with a knocked tooth
If your tooth is knocked out, the first thing to do is resist the urge to feel the root of the tooth. This part of the tooth is highly sensitive and even minimal pressure could end up causing permanent damage, making reattachment an unlikely course of action. A tooth that has been knocked completely out of your mouth to the ground should be picked it up by its crown and soaked in some milk or a salt-water solution. Take care not to scrub the tooth, as this will also cause undue harm to the root. Once the tooth is clean, try to affix it back into its socket before heading out to the dentist. However, if you are incapable of doing this, set the tooth back in a cup of milk and make your way to the dental clinic post haste.
Dealing with a partially knocked tooth
If your tooth is partially avulsed, it will typically move around in its socket or will have part of the root dislodged. The first measure to take would be trying to lodge it back into the socket using minimal pressure on the crown. Be sure not to be aggressive as you could end up damaging the root. If the tooth does not get back into position, resist trying to feel at it with your tongue as you could end up avulsing it complete. Instead, gently rinse your mouth with a saline solution to cleanse any bleeding and seek immediate emergency treatment.
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