Accidents happen, and knowing what to do when one occurs can mean the difference between saving and losing a tooth. The American Dental Association has compiled a list of dental tips when emergencies arise, as well as helpful advice and precautions for avoiding dental emergencies in the first place!
Here are some tips for common dental emergencies:
- For a knocked-out permanent or adult tooth, keep it moist at all times. If you can, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If that’s not possible, place it in between your cheek and gums, in milk, or use a tooth preservation product that has the ADA Seal of Acceptance. Then, get to the dental office right away.
- For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse the mouth with warm water to clean the area. Put cold compresses on the face to keep any swelling down.
- If you bite your tongue or lip, clean the area gently with water and apply a cold compress.
- For toothaches, rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between the teeth. Do not put aspirin on the aching tooth or gum tissues.
- For objects stuck in the mouth, try to gently remove with floss but do not try to remove it with sharp or pointed instruments.
Here are some simple precautions you can take to avoid accident and injury to the teeth:
- Wear a mouthguard when participating in sports or recreational activities.
- Avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels and hard candy, all of which can crack a tooth.
- Use scissors, NEVER your teeth, to cut things.
If you call the office with a dental emergency, provide as much detail as possible about your condition.
Content source: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/d/dental-emergencies
Photo credit: https://blog.dentalplans.com/do-you-know-what-to-do-in-a-dental-emergency/