Tips for Common Dental Emergencies:
- For a knocked-out permanent or adult tooth, keep it moist at all times. If that is not possible, place it between your cheek and gums, in milk, or use a tooth preservation product.
- For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse the mouth with warm water to clean the area. Also use a cold compress on the face to keep swelling down.
- If you bite your tongue or lip, rinse the mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress.
- For toothaches, rinse your mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between teeth. DO NOT put aspirin on the aching tooth or gum tissues.
- For objects stuck in your mouth, try to gently remove with floss, but DO NOT try to remove it with a sharp or pointed instrument. DO NOT scrub the tooth clean. The dentist will remove any debris.
- When a crown or temporary comes off, rinse it off and place it in a safe container. Another option is that you may use Vaseline or a denture adhesive to coat the inside of the crown or temporary, carefully reseating it until we can see you. Please contact our office so that we can recement it at your earliest convenience.
Simple precautions to avoid accident and injury:
- Wear a mouth guard when participating in sports or recreational activities.
- Avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels, and hard candy, all of which can crack a tooth.
- Use scissors, NEVER use your teeth, to cut things.
When you have a dental emergency, it is important to visit our office or an emergency room as soon as possible. Contact our office at 717-338-9905.
Source: www.mouthhealthy.org
