Most Common Dental Emergencies and How to Handle Them

Have you suffered from tooth pain or a dental emergency? If so, you want to get help fast. Start by contacting your local dentist for an appointment. Next, use home remedies that are dentist approved for emergency situations. These treatments help to save your teeth if you have a broken or chipped tooth. You can also reduce dental pain and oral irritation before your appointment. Here are five of the most common dental emergencies we see at Southview Dentistry, and home treatments our dentists recommend.

Tooth or Mouth Pain

Toothaches and mouth pain are the most common dental emergencies among our patients. When you have mouth pain or a toothache, it is an indicator that something is wrong. However, the issue varies from having something lodged in your teeth to having an abscess. Start by rinsing your mouth using lukewarm water. This eliminates the shock of cold or hot water. You are also able to remove most foreign objects and bacteria (prob remove this) from your teeth and gum tissue.

Floss your teeth to remove any food or material that is causing the pain. To reduce swelling and pain in the area, place a cold compress on your face over the area. Do not apply pain medication directly to the gum tissue. This leads to tissue damage.

Broken Tooth

The enamel on your teeth is very strong, which helps protect your teeth from chips or breakage. Yet breaking a tooth is entirely possible whether you have your baby or permanent teeth. If this happens to you, save the broken piece of the tooth if at all possible. Rinse the broken piece along with your mouth using warm water.

Use gauze pressed against any bleeding areas in the mouth. Follow with a cold compress held on the face near where the broken tooth is located. This will reduce swelling and pain. Visit your dentist as soon as possible, and take the piece of the tooth to your appointment.

Knocked Out Tooth

To save a tooth that has been knocked out, preserve the tooth properly. Begin by holding it by the part that is exposed in the mouth. Place the tooth in milk or hold it between your cheeks and your bottom teeth.   If tissue fragments remain, attempt to remove these. If the tooth can be reinserted into the socket, do so. Otherwise, place the tooth in a container with milk or water with a quarter teaspoon of salt. Contact a local dentist immediately.

Lost Filling

If you have had a cavity filled, it is possible that this filling has become dislodged. You most likely will not see the filling if it comes out of your cavity. If you accidentally swallow the filling component, this will not be a cause for alarm in most cases. However, you need to fill the cavity as soon as possible. This prevents bacteria, germs, food, and other material from getting into the cavity.

To protect the hole in the tooth, look for temporary filling material over the counter. You need to make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible for a new filling or possibly a crown depending on how big the cavity is.

Abscess

A dental abscess is an infection of the area and the tooth root between the teeth and the gums. Symptoms of an abscess include a painful, zit-like bump on your gum. Treat an abscess temporarily by rinsing your mouth with salty water. Do this several times daily. This helps with pain relief and to reduce the pus.

If you suspect you have an abscess, schedule a dental appointment immediately. If left untreated, the infection can spread to your bloodstream. This can lead to the toxic and fatal medical condition called sepsis.

Along with knowing what to do in a dental emergency, you need to find a Charlotte, NC dentist for treatment. Here at Southview Dentistry, we offer comprehensive dental care. Our team of dental professionals uses some of the most advanced treatment methods. Southview Dentistry services include same day crowns, dental bonding, tooth replacement, and pediatric dentistry. We also treat jaw muscle pain, do root canals, and provide sedation dentistry. We are ready to assist you with your dental emergency. Our dental team also provides routine cleanings and checkups for your entire family.