How to Deal with Dental Emergencies
Whether you have a cracked tooth, severe pain caused by decay, or have lost a tooth due to an injury, a dental emergency can be debilitating. In fact, an emergency involving your teeth can progress from something easily treated with a filling, to a complex condition that could require a more extensive procedure.
Those who participate in sports and other physical activities, or have poor oral health habits, have a higher risk of experiencing a dental emergency. Still, even those who take excellent care of their teeth can experience tooth pain with or without injury.
How to Deal with a Dental Emergency
Call the dentist right away. The sooner you are seen, the sooner you can be relieved of your pain, and the better your prognosis will be. There are steps you can take at home to ease your discomfort and help your dentist repair your damaged tooth.
General Tooth Pain - If you are experiencing pain due to an abscess or a cavity, you can use over-the-counter pain relievers and topical numbing products, but don’t rely on these alone – get to a dentist. When decay reaches a point that it causes this level of pain a root canal may be necessary.
Cracked or Broken Teeth – Rinse the area with warm water. If any pieces have broken completely off, save them in milk or warm salt water and bring them with you to the dentist’s office. Over-the-counter pain relievers are also recommended in this case as well as using a cold compress on the affected area.
Dislodged Tooth - Gently rinse off the tooth without removing any small pieces of tissue and place it back into the socket. If that is not possible, treat it the same as you would a broken piece of a tooth.
Soft Tissue Damage - For other problems, such as an injured tongue, cheek, or lip, rinse your mouth gently with salt water and apply pressure to the site with a moist strip of clean cotton, gauze or even a tea bag. A cold compress on your cheek near the injury can help relieve discomfort.
Visit Mehta Dental Group for Same-Day Emergency Appointments
We make your dental emergency our priority and provide comprehensive dentistry including root canal therapy and tooth replacement, depending on your needs.
We offer emergency dental services in Brea, Tustin, Los Alamitos, and Pico Rivera.
Don’t compound a dental emergency by trying to handle it yourself. Let Mehta Dental Group help. If you are suffering - we are only a phone call away.