Soft Tissue Injuries - This includes cuts, tears, and punctures to the tongue, cheeks, or lips. Try to clean the wound straight away and visit your local dentist or emergency department as soon as possible. If bleeding persists, place pressure on the wound using gauze.
The most common dental emergencies include loss of teeth, chips, fractures, and cracks. So, is there anything you can do from home to reduce discomfort before you see your dentist?
Steps to take if you lose tooth?
Losing a tooth is serious business and it’s important to act quickly! Rinse the tooth with milk to wash off any dirt and to keep the root from drying out. To increase the survival time of the tooth, either immerse it in milk or place it back in your mouth.
Be aware: If your child has lost a baby tooth, do not place it back in the socket. Doing this can damage the new permanent tooth underneath.
What to do if you fracture, break or chip a tooth?
Regardless of how damaged the tooth is, it’s imperative to seek medical advice immediately.
Reposition the tooth using very light finger pressure and hold in place with a moist tissue or gauze. Try to find any broken or chipped away pieces and rinse them with milk to remove any dirt. If you cannot find the piece of tooth, contact your dentist immediately. Depending on how damaged the tooth is your dentist may be able to repair it.
Accidents are inevitable and it’s important to ensure you have a plan just in case you find yourself in trouble during the holidays. Always seek dental treatment when an oral emergency occurs to improve the chance of saving the tooth or teeth and to prevent infections occurring or becoming more serious. Remember select Maven Dental Practices will be open for emergency as your health is our number one priority!
