Dental emergencies can be very painful and would require immediate attention in most cases. These kinds of injuries can become a bit more serious and can lead to further damage to your tooth. You could end up losing your tooth for good, get unbearable tooth pain or experience bleeding of gums.
To avoid such situations, you must regularly meet your dentist, and also maintain a good dental hygiene. In this article, we are going to talk about these dental emergencies and how can we deal with them.
If you are looking for a good Dentist Rancho Bernardo, you can visit the clinic of Dr. Reza Hekmat where you will experience all the modern dentistry including a comprehensive list of general, cosmetic, and restorative dental services that will meet the needs of your entire family.
What is a dental emergency?
A dental emergency is a condition that requires to be treated immediately. This includes unbearable pain that doesn’t go away even with medications, continuous bleeding, or broken facial bones.
In this case, the first thing you can do is call your doctor immediately. If you don’t have a doctor’s number, you can go to an urgent care center or your nearest emergency room.
How to manage the symptoms?
Here are some of the examples to manage the symptoms:
- Dull toothache
Rinse your mouth with warm water and floss it well to check if there are any food particles lodged between the tooth. Take an over-the-counter medicine to relieve the pain for time being.
- Cracked tooth
In such a situation, you can wait for the dentist. But if there are sharp edges that irritate your tongue or cheek then you can cover the area with orthodontic wax.
- Broken braces
This can be an emergency, when you have these broken wires poking the cheek or the tongue, you can gently bend the wire using a blunt object or an eraser and cover it with orthodontic wax before you visit the dentist.
- Object stuck between the teeth
If you have something lodged between the teeth, remove it with the help of dental floss. Never use any sharp instruments for the same.
- Minor soft tissue injury
You can rinse your mouth with salt water solution or some anti-bacterial mouthwash. Then apply some pressure on that affected area with a plain muslin cloth. This will stop the bleeding within 15 to 20 minutes. If the bleeding doesn’t stop then seek immediate attention.
How to prevent such emergencies?
- You need to practice daily oral hygiene by brushing and flossing regularly.
- Use mouthguards during activities like any sports. This will shield the teeth from any kind of damage caused due to heavy blow while playing.
- Avoid meals that are sugary and unhealthy like candies, crackers, or starchy foods. Any kind of beverage like coffee, fruit juice, alcohol, and soda is also a big no.
- Sealants are also preventive care that is used for children but is good for adults too.
- Have a routine dental check-up.
- Take your daily dose of vitamins.
Fix a quick appointment with your favorite dentist on Zocdoc and get your dental checkup done by Dr. Reza Hekmat.
*Photos by Nadezhda Moryak
