It’s bound to happen at some point in everyone’s life, a chipped tooth, toothache, or even a permanent tooth that has been knocked out. Whether it be your own teeth or those of a spouse or child, when damage has been done inside someone’s mouth, how do you know if it is an emergency situation? If it is an emergency do you know the steps to take to save a tooth? When is a toothache cause for a dentist’s visit? Following the correct protocol could prevent long term damage and find the cause of severe pain. Learning to identify a dental emergency is important and necessary for keeping a healthy smile.
- Loss of teeth. Locate the knocked out tooth immediately. Once tooth has been located rinse with water being careful not to touch the root. If it is the whole tooth try to place tooth back into the socket and keep it there as you get to your dentist immediately. Once there your dentist may be able to reimplant the tooth. If you cannot place it back in the socket, store the tooth in milk or in your mouth to keep it moist and immediately see your dentist. If it’s a baby tooth, the dentist may decide to leave it alone. If it’s a permanent tooth, there may be several options available.
- Cracked or dislocated teeth. In both situations, it is important to seek attention from your dentist as soon as possible. If the tooth is chipped or pieces have been lost, try to find them and keep them moist until you can see your dentist.
- Damaged or lost dental work. When you lose dental work such as a filling or crown or have damage to braces that could injure the inside of your mouth, see your dentist as soon as possible to repair the apparatus or redo fillings and replace crowns. Waiting to fix these issues could result in further damage or pain.
- Soft tissue damage. If your tongue, lips, or gums have been injured and the bleeding cannot be stopped, this is an emergency. See your dentist or seek medical attention immediately.
- Toothache. While a toothache may not seem like an emergency, the cause of the pain could be serious and may mean a procedure such as a root canal needs to be performed. If treating pain with over the counter relievers does not ease the discomfort see your dentist.
- Broken jaw. If your jaw has been injured and you suspect it has been broken, place an ice pack on jaw and seek your dentist or medical treatment immediately for x-rays and treatment.
Learning to identify an emergency can mean the difference between long term damage and prevention. If any of these situations arise, seek out medical attention as soon as possible.
