Sometimes you can wonder if what you’re feeling with your teeth is an emergency, or if it can wait until the next day or until Monday. At Gentle Dental, we’re here for your dental emergencies. Here are some scenarios and what you should do.
Knocked out tooth
You were playing a friendly “touch” football game and someone felt like tackling you and he knocked your tooth out. First thing, retrieve the tooth and rinse it off with water. Rinse your mouth with warm water, too. Don’t scrub the tooth or remove any tissue fragments; leaving them in place will give the tooth the best chance to be saved. If possible, put the tooth back in place, making sure it is facing the right way. If you can’t do this, place the tooth in a small container of milk or in water with a pinch of salt in it. Call us immediately because a tooth has a much higher chance of being saved if the issue is addressed within a few hours after the accident.
Chipped or broken tooth
You were playing a little pond hockey and the puck came up and chipped a tooth. Find any pieces that you can. Rinse your mouth out with warm water and rinse the tooth pieces. If there is bleeding, place a piece of gauze over the spot and bite down lightly. A cold compress will help with pain and will reduce possible swelling. Call us immediately.
Crown or filling fell came off
You can temporarily fill the gap for a lost filling with sugarless gum or dental cement. Don’t use sugared gum; this will cause pain. If a crown came off, find it and bring it with you. Clove oil, which can be found in the spice aisle at the grocery store, can help reduce pain and sensitivity in the affected area. Try and reattach the crown with over-the-counter dental cement or denture adhesive. Call us immediately, although these cases aren’t as critical as the above scenarios.
Toothaches
Rinse your mouth with warm water. Floss your teeth gently to remove any food debris that could be stuck between the teeth. You can use over-the-counter tooth pain reliever, but don’t get this on your gums. It can burn the gum tissue. If the toothache doesn’t pass see us the next business day or two.
Objects between teeth
Using dental floss, try and remove the object gently. If you can’t dislodge it, call us right away. Don’t use pins or other sharp objects to try and remove it. Don’t use metal. All of these can damage the enamel on your teeth. Call us immediately and we’ll get the object out.
If you have a dental emergency after office hours, call us at Gentle Dental (732) 549-5660. We have an emergency dentist on call.
