Dental emergencies happen more often than you might think. They can strike anytime, anywhere, and most often without warning.
Perhaps you’re playing street hockey during the holidays and the ball veers up. It hits you hard in the face and knocks out a few teeth. Or you’re on vacation in the tropics, taking a dip in a natural spring. You’re lifting yourself up onto a rock when you slip and somehow chip a tooth on the way down.
From a poorly aimed shot to a hard piece of candy, there are so many situations that can lead you to seek emergency dental services. The following are the five most common reasons your family could a dentist at a moment’s notice.
- You’ve knocked out a tooth or two. Whether you’ve lost your teeth through an injury or from just decay, you need dental care right away. If the tooth is salvageable then it’s possible to get it reattached. However, you only have a small window of time, one or two hours, to get this done.
- You’ve chipped your tooth. Chips can be caused by anything. Tiny chips in your teeth can be the result of nuts or chicken bones. Larger chips are usually the result of an injury or accident. Walking around with a big chip in your tooth can be embarrassing. However, you can easily get it fixed with a veneer, bond, or crown.
- You’ve broken your tooth beyond just a chip. When your tooth breaks, it’s usually the result of a hidden or small chip. A broken tooth is different from a chip because it causes severe discomfort and pain.
- You have a piece of food stuck in your mouth, and you cannot get it out. A piece of debris can get stuck deep in a crevice between your teeth. While it seems like it won’t do much, this piece of food can cause major inflammation and pain.
- You’ve lost your filling. Losing a filling happens more often than one might think. If you’ve lost your filling, you should receive dental care immediately. Not doing so runs the risk of damaging your tooth further.
What to Do With A Broken Tooth?
Knowing the reasons why you might have to go to the dentist for an emergency helps ensure that you can take the suitable measures needed to protect yours and your family’s teeth. While each of the above require you to simply go to the dentist, if you knock your tooth out then you have to take additional steps to ensure it can be reattached.
While you’re for dental care, try to handle the tooth as little as possible. If you can, put the tooth back in the socket. Bite down on a wet tea bag or moistened gauze to help. Be sure that you don’t accidentally swallow your tooth.
If you’re not comfortable with putting your tooth back in your socket, rinse it off to get rid of any dirt and place it into a container of your saliva or milk. To help with the bleeding that can come from your tooth socket, apply a wet, cold compress to the area.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes your issue won’t be as simple as a knocked out tooth. You may be experiencing some severe tooth pain. If you’re unsure of the best course of action, don’t be afraid to call your dentist office before going in.
For those living in Calgary, our dentists at Hamptons are here to help those experiencing any dental emergency. With 20 years of experience, we do all we can to meet your every dental need. In your most critical and stressful emergencies, we make every effort to see you as soon as possible.