subject: Dental Emergencies- What To Know [print this page] At some point in your life, you will be faced with a situation that can be classified as a dental emergency. An injury to the teeth or gums should be taken very seriously. If you ignore the problem, there is a much greater chance that it will develop into a more serious and costly problem down the road. When faced with a dental emergency, it is important to act quickly and decisively. To minimize the damage to your teeth or gums, you should have an idea of the proper way to handle each situation.
Tips To Avoid Dental Emergencies
To avoid dental emergencies, there are a few preventative measures you can take. Here are some of the most important ones.
*Wear a mouthguard. Sporting events are one of the most common occurrences of dental emergencies. When you are playing sports, wearing a mouthguard will protect your teeth, lips, cheeks and tongue from damage. Especially in contact sports, mouthguard use is a necessity.
*Avoid popcorn, hard candy and chewing ice. These foods all have the possibility of cracking one of your teeth. Avoid them to lower your risk of breaking a tooth.
*Do not cut things with your teeth. Many people decide to cut through things using their teeth. Doing this increases your chances of breaking a tooth. Cut things with scissors to avoid doing damage to your teeth.
How To Deal With Dental Emergencies
There are a variety of dental situations where it is important to know how to handle yourself. Here are a few of the most common dental emergencies.
*Toothache. First wash out your mouth with warm water and use floss to remove any food that is stuck in between your teeth. Avoid putting aspirin directly on your gums, as it will damage your gum tissue. See your dentist as soon as you can if the pain continues.
*Knocked out tooth. If you get a tooth knocked out, you should first locate the tooth. Pick it up by the crown and rinse it off if it is dirty. If you can, try to stick it back into the socket. If it does not go back in, put it in a small container of milk or salt water and see your dentist immediately. A tooth has the greatest chance of being saved if it is reattached within one hour of getting knocked out.
*Abscessed tooth. An abscessed tooth occurs when there is an infection around the root of a tooth. This can be a very painful condition so you need to contact your dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime, wash your mouth out with lightly salted water a few times per day.
*Soft tissue injuries. If you are struck in the face, you can easily cause damage to your tongue, cheeks, gums or lips. To control the bleeding, rinse your mouth with a mild salt water solution. Apply pressure to the bleeding site with a piece of gauze or a cold compress. If the bleeding continues, you should go to an emergency room at your nearest hospital.
To learn more about how to handle yourself in a dental emergency, talk to your Azle dentist today.
by: Gen Wright
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