Proper hygiene is the best way to keep your teeth and gums healthy. However, at times, an accident or dental trauma can occur due to falls or accidents, and cause bleeding or worse still loss of teeth.
When a dental accident occurs, handling them well can increase the probability of saving your teeth and preserving oral health. Here are a few five tips that can help:
1.Know The Difference Between Urgent and Non-Urgent Dental Emergencies
Differentiating between what is urgent and needs dental treatment and those that are not is the first step. A dental emergency is bruising on the gums, teeth, and soft tissues and the most common dental emergencies include:
- Knocked teeth. The teeth can be partially or entirely dislodged after direct contact.
- Broken or fractured teeth
- Dental abscess
- Soft tissue injuries
- Severe toothache
When any of these accidents occur, visit our emergency in Robbinsville TWP for assistance.
Non-urgent dental emergencies are accidents that cause mild to moderate pain and can be handled at home as you wait for your next appointment. Non-urgent dental emergencies include:
- You have broken veneers or crowns. However, if you have broken metal braces and the wires are protruding, you need emergency assistance to keep the gums and teeth safe.
- A dull toothache
- Food stuck in between the teeth. Flossing and rinsing your mouth after eating is a great way of removing food particles.
2. Visit the Dentist an Hour After the Accident Occurs
This is crucial if you have knocked out teeth. It is easy for the dentist to save your teeth if you come to the clinic within the first hour after the teeth are dislodged.
It can be tempting to pull your teeth if they are partially dislodged but do not. Only the dentist can decide if the teeth are worth saving; Instead, try to place the teeth back in the socket. Pick the teeth by the crown, and don’t touch the roots.
If the teeth are completely knocked out, put them in a milk solution to preserve them. In the case of primary teeth, do not push them back, but come with the dentist’s knocked-out tooth for examination.
3.Control the Bleeding
Bleeding occurs whether you have knocked out teeth, soft tissue injuries, or abscess. The severity of the blood flow will depend on the type of injury and the affected part. You can stop the bleeding with a gauze pad or tea bag. Place the pad on the affected area for 15 minutes.
Avoid using medication because certain drugs can make the bleeding worse.
4.Reduce Swelling and Pain
Toothache sometimes can occur on their own, but they clear out without any medication. However, severe tooth pain is an indication of an underlying dental problem. You may ease the pain using a pain reliever, but first, consult our Robbinsville dentist for the best medication to use.
If you have swelling, ice packs can help to control it. Place an ice pack on the cheek every 20 minutes to reduce it. Avoid using moist heat as it makes swelling worse.
5. Keep the Teeth and Mouth Clean
Most often, when your teeth get knocked out or fractured, there will be dirt or broken pieces. You can get rid of them using warm water. For dental abscess, saltwater will work great. Do not try to pop the swelling on your teeth as this may make the situation worse.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
Dental accidents are inevitable at times and so preventing them may not be possible. However, you can decrease your teeth’ chances of getting knocked out by using mouthguards when playing sports. Several types of mouthguards are available, but the custom-made ones are ideal.
Additionally, eat teeth-friendly foods such as eggs, whole grains, fish, among others, to keep your teeth strong. Don’t forget to maintain proper dental hygiene to keep the teeth healthy.
Take Action!
When a dental emergency occurs, do not hesitate to contact our dentist for assistance. Visit Mercer Smiles if you have any questions about dental emergencies.
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