Download what to do in a dental emergency

WHAT TO DO IN A DENTAL EMERGENCY
A dental emergency can happen with any age group.
Children can get teeth knocked
out by playing sports, or falling
and hitting the mouth on the
edge of a coffee table.
Adults can lose teeth if they are
in a car accident or if they
happen to get hit in the mouth.
Below are some ways to handle dental emergencies
that could save the tooth or make the pain of losing a
tooth less severe.
TOOTHACHE
This is the most common kind of emergency. There are a
few reasons why you might have a toothache.
It could be from a wisdom tooth that is trying to break
through the gums.
Children sometimes have toothaches from the baby
teeth coming through.
These are pains that can be resolved with an analgesic that is
applied to the gums.
If the pain is caused by the wisdom teeth, come in for an
x-ray to see how the teeth are positioned and if they
need to be removed.
Dental floss can be used to remove food that might be
lodged between the teeth, as this can be a cause of
toothaches as well.
A cavity would need to be filled, but if the cavity is
severe, there may be a need for a crown or root canal.
It's best to wash the mouth with warm salt water before
calling us to see if this can help with the pain.
You can also apply a warm compress to the mouth.
BROKEN TEETH
A broken tooth is another
common emergency.
You should rinse the mouth
with warm salt water, and
save any pieces of the
tooth that you can.
Sometimes children get their teeth knocked out or
broken when playing sports.
It's important to wear a mouth guard to protect the
teeth in these situations.
If you see any bleeding, you can apply a small piece of
gauze to the area until it stops.
If the bleeding doesn't stop, then you need to seek
medical treatment as soon as you can.
Bring the pieces of tooth to us to see what can be done,
if anything, about fixing the tooth.
Most of the time, the remainder of the tooth will
be pulled.
A crown may be needed in
that situation.
If the tooth is completely knocked from the gum line, try
to hold the tooth in the socket until you can get to us.
You can also keep the tooth
in a glass of cold milk.
Teeth can sometimes be replaced if you get to our office
within about an hour of the tooth getting knocked out.
OTHER EMERGENCIES
If you have a filling that has
come out, you can put a piece
of sugarless gum in the area
until you can get it filled again.
Objects between the teeth
can often be removed
with floss.
If you have braces and a
bracket breaks, use a small
amount of orthodontic wax to
keep the bracket in place until
you get to the orthodontist.
• In the event that a crown comes off, save the crown
and bring it in to our office; we may be able to put it
back in place.
If you are seeking professional
dental advice, it's time to call
Shumway Dental Care.
Their Chandler dentists will ask
you questions, examine you,
and determine exactly what
needs to be done to get you
back to normal.
Call today for an appointment.
Visit http://www.mychandlerdentists.com/
SHUMWAY DENTAL CARE
3150 S Gilbert Rd Suite 1
Chandler, AZ 85286
(480) 659-7800
[email protected]