When you develop pain or if an injury occurs in the teeth or gums, then you have a dental emergency. You should see the dentist as soon as possible. If the issue is potentially life threatening, then you should proceed to the nearest emergency room. In today’s blog, we’re looking at how you should respond to common dental emergency situations.
Try Our Quiz on Responding to Dental Emergencies
- True or False: You should recover a knocked-out tooth.
- True or False: You can use a compress to reduce swelling if you chip a tooth.
- True or False: Don’t use anything other than floss if something is caught between your teeth.
- True or False: We can fix a loose filling or crown.
Answer Key
- True. First, try to pick the tooth up by the crown, never touch the roots. While you need to rinse the tooth under running water, take care not to remove any tissue adhering to it. You can then place the tooth in a glass of milk or salt water and bring it to the office with you. Gauze can be used to stem the bleeding and a cold compress against the face can reduce swelling.
- True. After you chip a tooth, try to recover the pieces and bring them with you. If this proves impossible, don’t worry, we can still repair the tooth. Rinse your mouth with warm water and use cloth or gauze to control the bleeding. Again, a cold compress against the side of the face can reduce swelling.
- True. If an object becomes caught between the teeth and causes pain, only use floss to try and remove it. Using anything else can increase the chances of damaging your gum tissue. You can see us and we can remove the object without damaging your gum tissue.
- True. Should a filling and crown become loose, we can reattach it or create a new restoration. In the meantime, be sure to avoid sugary foods and drinks, which can cause discomfort in the exposed tooth.
Do You Need to Make an Appointment?
At Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS, we can schedule a visit to start you on your journey towards optimal oral health. We’ve proudly served our patients in Astoria, NY (including Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and all surrounding communities) since 1991. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Leibowitz, call our office in Astoria today at 718-728-8320.
