What to Do Before Seeing an Emergency Dentist: First Aid for Dental Emergencies

We’ve all had our fair share of dental problems at one point in our lives, but it’s nothing a good dentist can’t fix.

If you have a good dental plan and take care of your teeth, then mostly you have nothing to worry about. But of course, no matter how prepared you might be, accidents happen, and these mishaps don’t just affect your legs or other parts of your body, but also your mouth.

When such issues come into play, you might not be in the most convenient time or place to schedule a visit to your dentist’s office, so what can you do? Well, luckily, even if you aren’t a professional, there are some remedies you can use to temporarily solve these problems.

Acting quickly is key here; letting it be and waiting for a dentist to fix it might do more harm than good, hence why you immediately need to administer first aid on your tooth problem. Some of you might be scared to deal with such a thing, since injuries concerning your teeth can be painful, but that’s why it’s even more necessary to provide immediate attention. Doing so can mean a huge difference between keeping or losing your tooth in the process. Once the initial storm has passed, you can find an emergency dentist in Fitzroy North that could assist you further. But before all that, let’s see what you can do once these problems arise.

Pressing Pain: toothaches are the most common dental problem; they can happen anytime and often in the most inconvenient place, like at work or school. The cause of such pain can be a variety of things, such as infection, a cracked tooth, or a swelling root canal, but regardless of the cause, the pain it can cause can significantly hinder you from doing your tasks properly. The most efficient solution to this issue is using an ice pack and pressing it in your cheek near the area that’s causing the pain; usually toothaches are the result of swelling, and putting ice on the affected area can soothe the area. Taking Tylenol is also effective, since it is a readily available drug and has great anti-inflammatory capabilities.

Saving Your Tooth: As we mentioned previously, accidents happen, and mouth and head injuries are a common type of problem faced by many. These mostly result in getting your tooth knocked out; whether you’ve been to a fight or knocked down by a pole you didn’t see, it can become nasty. Movies and TV shows might make it seem that such injuries don’t require immediate attention, but they do. Ignoring such issues can cause infections, which can lead to pus building up in the gums if not treated right away. Furthermore, a knocked-out tooth can be saved; simply grab the tooth by the crown (not the root) and, if possible, place it back on the socket and go to the dentist right away; if this isn’t practical now, then place the tooth in a bag with milk and go to the dentist immediately.

Fractured Tooth: Another possible injury from accidents that can happen besides getting your tooth knocked out is a broken tooth. A part of your tooth can get chipped away, and this can be dangerous since if your root canal is exposed, it could lead to infection and pain, which could potentially become a gum infection and affect other parts of your mouth. The best thing to do in this situation is to pick up and keep the fractured part of your teeth to show the dentist later; this can give them important information on how to save the affected area. Afterwards, apply a healthy amount of antiseptic cleanser to the area to make sure it won’t get contaminated, and immediately place a cold bag to reduce swelling. If the chiseled area is sharp, apply paraffin wax to avoid injuring your tongue and mouth.

Conclusion

Health is wealth, a saying we’ve heard a hundred times by now, but of course, the best way to avoid the problems we just mentioned is to prevent them from happening in the first place. While we are aware that even with proper preparation and good hygiene, you simply can’t prevent these from happening, we can try our best. That’s why regular dental check-ups are important. If you’re unsure if you’re doing your oral hygiene right, make sure to ask your dentist for advice.