To have a dental emergency can be very scary. It usually happens without warning and you can have a lot of pain very quickly.
What should you do if you or someone you know has a dental emergency and what can you do until you can get us?
We will see most emergencies in our practice. There are certain cases where we will recommend that you seek care at a hospital to ensure that we have all the equipment necessary to take care of you.
These are some of the types of dental emergency and how to manage them until you can get in to the dentist:
Broken tooth
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- Take note if hot, cold, or sweet things affect the sensitivity of the tooth. Does it cause pain that hangs around for more than 30 seconds? Is it giving random pain? If yes, these suggest that the nerve is unhappy.
- Avoid doing anything to irritate the tooth, eat on the other side.
- There are temporary dental fillings that you can buy at the chemist to help fill the hole until you can get in to see us. These are for short term use only.
Pain from a tooth
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- Is it painful to eat on? Are you having pain in your muscles?
- Do your best to keep the tooth clean. Brush and floss to remove any food and plaque around the teeth.
- A cold compress over the cheek can help with pain.
- Take over the counter painkillers to help with the pain.
Swelling in the mouth or abscess around a tooth
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- Rinse with warm saltwater (1 tsp salt in a glass of warm water) as often as needed.
- If you have trouble swallowing or breathing, visit a hospital emergency department, or call an ambulance. Swellings can progress quickly at this stage.
- Take over the counter painkillers to help with the pain.
Gum pain and swelling
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- Rinse with warm saltwater (1 tsp salt in a glass of warm water) as often as needed.
- Chlorhexidine mouthwashes such as Curasept or Savacol can help.
- Keep the area clean by brushing and flossing as best you can. Bleeding after cleaning is an indicator that the gums are inflamed.
- When you see us, we will likely recommend a thorough clean around the gums and teeth.
Trauma to teeth and face
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- Make sure there are no broken bones. Attend to the emergency department if any abnormal movement in the nose or upper jaw, swelling in the eyes, nose, or mouth.
- If there is a lot of bleeding, go to the emergency department of your closest hospital. Sometimes you may need stiches of the lip or skin which is best done by a plastic surgeon.
Knocked out tooth
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- If there is no other damage to the face and head area, but the teeth have been knocked out or moved, assess the situation.
- If a baby tooth has been knocked out, do not replace it in the socket. This can damage the underlying adult teeth.
- If it is an adult tooth or piece of tooth, replace it as soon as possible and attend to us within 30 mins. To replace it, hold it by the white part on the top of the tooth (the crown). Avoid touching the yellow root of the tooth. Wash the tooth with cold water for 10 seconds, do not scrub. Replace the tooth into the socket gently.
Make sure the tooth is facing the right way.
Bite down gently on a soft material to keep the tooth in place. - If you are unable to replace the tooth, keep the tooth in milk or saliva and bring it to us immediately.
All dental pain is your body telling you that something is not quite right. While the symptoms can come and go, the cause of the problem rarely goes away by itself.
Come and chat with us if you are worried about any dental emergency or symptom you are experiencing.
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