Emergency Dental Tips

Emergency Dental Tips

We aim to provide quality emergency care as quickly as possible for our patients.  Call our office at (314) 821-7100 to schedule an emergency exam.  Go to our website or Facebook page for our location and hours.

General Tips:
There are several general tips that may help to avoid injury to the teeth.  One way to help reduce the chances of damage to the teeth, lips, tongue, and cheeks is to wear a mouthguard when participating in activities that may pose a risk to the mouth area, such as sports.  In attempt to avoid cracking a tooth, avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels, or hard candy.   Use scissors to cut tape and other materials instead of the teeth.

Unfortunately, accidents do happen.  Here are a few tips that may make the difference between saving a tooth and losing it.  

Avulsed Tooth (Knocked-Out):
Retrieve the tooth, careful not to touch the root end of the tooth.  Place the tooth in a cup of sterile saline solution, contact solution, or milk.  Apply light pressure to the socket with a cool wet gauze or saturated tea bag.   Do not clean the area as the tissue fragments will help the healing process if the tooth can be reinserted.  Refrain from spitting, smoking, or drinking through a straw at this time.  To have the best chance of saving the tooth, you must get to a dentist within 60 minutes with the tooth in hand.

Bitten Tongue, Lips, Cheek, etc:
Clean the area gently with cool water or damp gauze/cloth.  Control for swelling by applying a cold compress or crushed ice in a bag.  If the bleeding persists, apply pressure with wet gauze or a saturated tea bag.  Take the appropriate medication for pain.

Bleeding Gums:
Normally associated with periodontal (gum) disease, the best way to minimize bleeding gums is to brush twice daily, floss, and visit the dentist for regular checkups.

Broken/Fractured Tooth:
Rinse mouth with warm water (salt water if possible). Control bleeding with damp gauze or a saturated tea bag.  Use a cold compress to keep swelling down. Do not remove any fractured pieces and save the fragments.  Take the appropriate pain medication and see us right away.

Canker Sore:
Rinse with warm salt water and cover with a saturated tea bag if needed.  Avoid spicy, hot, and acidic foods.  Take the appropriate medications for pain.  The addition of a daily L-lysing vitamin may be used if the sores appear often.  Do not apply pain medications (such as Orajel) to the area.

Gum Boil:
Rinse with warm salt water.  If pain and swelling in the area persists or grows worse, a cold compress and the appropriate pain medications may help.  Do NOT try to pop the boil.  Contact the office soon as antibiotics may be necessary.

Jaw Possibly Broken:
Apply a cold compress or ice in a bag to the area to control swelling.  See a dentist or hospital emergency department immediately.

Objects Caught Between Teeth:
Attempt to gently remove the object with dental floss, careful to not cut the gums.  Do NOT use a sharp instrument to dislodge an object from between teeth.  If the object will not come free with dental floss, contact our office.

Teething Pains:
Bag ice chips and apply to the area for no more than 15 minutes at a time.  Freezing or chilling some baby carrots and applying them to the area may also be used.  Some mild pain relievers (such as Children’s Tylenol - follow dosing instructions on label) or topical gel (such as Baby Orajel Naturals) may help as well.

Toothache:
Rinse with warm water to clean the area.  Use dental floss to ensure there is no food or other debris in between the teeth.  Avoid the area as much as possible.  Do not bite in that area and avoid hot or cold beverages.  If the pain and/or swelling increases, apply a cold compress to the area.  Use pain medications as needed.  Do NOT put a pain killer against the gums of the aching tooth as this may burn the gum tissue.  See us as soon as possible

Wisdom Teeth:
Keep the area as clean as possible with diligent brushing and rinses with warm water.  If the area begins to swell and/or pain increases, a cool compress and pain medications may help.  Antibiotics and/or removal of the tooth/teeth may be necessary.  Contact our office.  


Pain Medications:
Advil (Ibuprofen) 200mg every 4-6 hours will help pain and inflammation.  Tylenol (Acetaminophen) 325mg every 4-6 hours is a good alternative.  Please review any allergies with a physician or dentist before using these.  We can prescribe higher doses and different pain medications once an assessment and diagnoses is reached.

Warning: Always consult a dentist/physician before initiating treatment.  These are tips and suggestions for patients and can be altered at any time based on the specific circumstances of each patient.


Sources:
Dental Emergencies (2012). In American Dental Association. Retrieved June 7, 2012, from

http://www.ada.org/370.asp

Knocked-Out Tooth (Avulsed Tooth) (2012). In Colgate Oral And Dental Health Resource

Center. Retrieved June 7, 2012, from http://www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/Information/Articles/Oral-and-Dental-Health-Basics/Dental-Emergencies/Dental-Emergencies/article/Knocked-Out-Tooth-Avulsed-Tooth.cvsp