Whether a dental emergency is the result of an accident or biting on a piece of food that is too hard, any trauma to the mouth that may cause bleeding and lacerations to the gums, and dislodge or fracture teeth, and may require immediate medical attention. If mouth injuries are left untreated, it can lead to serious complications.
Dental emergencies - like an injury to the teeth or gums - can be serious and should not be ignored. Ignoring a dental problem increases the risk of permanent damage, as well as the need for extensive dental treatments later on.
In case you find yourself in a situation where you have injured your mouth and require medical assistance, here is a quick summary of what you should do prior to entering our practice:
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Toothaches – rinse your mouth with warm water. If your mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek. Avoid putting any painkillers against the gum, as it may burn the gum tissue.
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Chipped or broken teeth – Rinse your mouth and any broken pieces of tooth with warm water. If your mouth is bleeding, apply a piece of gauze or cotton to the area for 10 minutes, or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip near the broken/chipped tooth to reduce any swelling and pain.
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Knocked-out tooth – If you are able to retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown and rinse it with water. Do not try to scrub it or remove any tissue fragments. Try to put the tooth back in place, if possible. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, put the tooth in a small container of milk. If you contact us as soon as possible after having your tooth knocked out, we may be able to return your tooth back to its socket.
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Extruded (partially dislodged) tooth – Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area. You may also take over-the-counter pain relievers before reaching our practice.
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Objects caught between teeth – Try using dental floss or dental picks to very gently and carefully remove the object.
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Lost filling - Keep the area clean and avoid eating on the side so that food does not get trapped in the hole where the filling was seated. If you had an inlay/onlay restoration, bring this along with you to your appointment so that we may assess to see whether we may recement it back for you.
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Lost crown - if the crown comes off, contact us immediately to make an appointment. Keep the crown safe and bring it with you to your appointment. Please bare in mind not to use any super glue to stick the crown back as this is poisonous and damaging to the tooth.
