Let’s Celebrate New Year Learning Some Emergency Appointments

Dental emergencies are always stressful and can be potentially dangerous if you take long before getting treatment. The more you wait before getting treated, the more you increase the risk of losing a permanent tooth. Not all dental problems are considered dental emergencies, but most are. With that in mind, here are the most common dental emergencies.

Common Dental Emergencies

• Dental abscess
• Injury to soft tissues such as lips and tongue.
• Severe toothache that won’t respond o recommended painkillers.
• A knocked-out tooth.
• A broken tooth.

Causes of Dental Emergencies

Typically, dental emergencies are caused by various things. Among the most common causes are:

Accidents

Accidents happen daily, and in some cases, they may lead to dental problems. For example, your kid might fall from her bike, knocking her tooth out or injuring soft tissues.

Infections

Infections such as cavities and gum disease can lead to a severe toothache that can make you need to see the dentist as soon as possible. If such infections are left untreated for a long time, they can lead to tooth loss.

Poor Oral Hygiene

If you don’t take proper care of your teeth, it will increase the risk of infections and cavities hence the need for dental emergencies.

Preventing Dental Problems

Dental emergencies are inevitable, but there are things you can do to reduce the risk. Here are a few things that can help you prevent dental emergencies:

• Practice proper oral hygiene by brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing, using mouthwash, and seeing your dentist twice a year.
• Wear a mouthguard if you are active in contact sports such as football and rugby.
• Don’t use your teeth to open things, bite nails, pencils, or pens.
• Take a balanced diet with lots of vitamins to help fight dental infections.
• Get dental sealants and fluoride treatment to help prevent cavities.

You can talk to us if you are looking for a pediatric dentist in Columbia. We will help your child grow cavity-free, and you can count on us for other dental services.

How to Handle Various Dental Emergencies

Typically, how you handle a dental emergency can determine if a tooth can or cannot be saved. Luckily, when you know how to react in various situations, you increase the chances of saving the affected tooth. Hopefully, these tips will help you out.

Knocked-Out Tooth

• Pick the knocked-out tooth by the crown and avoid touching the roots as much as possible. Touching the roots can kill tissues vital during treatment.
• If the tooth has some dirt or debris on it, rinse it with running water.
• Be extra careful not to drain the tooth in the sink. You can put a clean towel on the sink just to be extra careful.
• Try to put the tooth back to the socket and gently bite onto it.
• If the pain is too much, put the tooth in a glass of salt water or milk.
• Carry the tooth with you and get to the dentist ASAP.

Remember, the faster you arrive there, the higher the chances of saving the tooth.

Toothache

• Brush your teeth for at least two minutes
• Use dental floss and floss your teeth to remove any food particles between teeth.
• Rinse your mouth with mouthwash or salt water.
• Apply ice from the outside of the aching teeth, applying the ice for about 15 seconds, taking a 20-seconds break. This technique is known as the ice-cold compress method.
• Take recommended painkillers
• If all the techniques fail, get to the dentist ASAP. The dentist will know how to handle the situation.

Fractured or Chipped Tooth

• Rinse your mouth with warm water
• Try the ice cold-compress method to alleviate pain.
• Take painkillers as directed on the packaging. Aspirin and acetaminophen will do.
• Don’t apply painkillers on the gums or fractured tooth, as some people might advise. Doing that will do more harm than good.

Soft Tissue Injuries

• Clean the bleeding area with warm water.
• Use a piece of gauze and apply pressure on the bleeding site.
• Take recommended painkiller as per the packaging. Kindly don’t take ibuprofen with soft tissue injuries. It contains anticoagulant elements that can lead to more bleeding.
• Book an appointment in the nearest ER and get there as soon as possible.

Kids First Dental (Columbia)

If you are looking for excellent dental services in Columbia, Dr. Harold Jablon is here for you. You can count on our modern dental clinic for all dental services, and we help with emergencies as well. Book an appointment now.