Some of us had the unfortunate circumstance in dealing with painful ailments concerning our teeth.
Fortunately, some of these cases can be seen by a dentist and are not life-threatening. However,
there are situations when medical attention is required immediately for dental emergencies. Here a
few things to do when a dental emergency occurs.
Broken Tooth
You may have bitten down on something that broke or cracked your tooth, exposing your tooth's
nerve. This can be severely painful and cause extreme discomfort. Because of the pain in having an
exposed tooth nerve, it can be life-threatening, especially for those of whom have high blood
pressure. If possible, keep the broken tooth in place. Then, clean around the area of the broken
tooth. Perhaps rinsing it with warm water then with an antiseptic solution will help prevent
infection before heading out to the hospital.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Okay, in this case, your tooth wasn’t chipped or broken, the whole tooth was knocked out. Perhaps
you were playing your favorite sport when it happened. A knocked-out tooth (also known as
avulsed) causes a lot of bleeding. It can be traumatic, painful, and depending on the severity of the
trauma, it can lead to shock. If not treated immediately it can lead to death. The first thing to do is
to not panic, especially when hemorrhaging occurs. Rinse your tooth with warm water, then rinse
with an antiseptic solution. If the tooth is not lost, try to put it back into its socket. Then use a
piece of gauze and bite down, gently on your tooth. The gauze will help with the bleeding while it
buys you some time to head to the hospital.
Abscessed Tooth
In an abscessed tooth, the infection has spread within the tooth forming a pocket of pus around
the infection. As with any infection, it cannot be ignored, and if left untreated, may cause serious
medical and dental consequences. If your dentist cannot see you right away, it is best to head over
to the hospital. Generally, as mentioned many times above, try to clean around the area of the
infected tooth. Rinse the area with warm water. Then, rinse with an antiseptic solution. If severe
swelling has occurred, place a cold compress on your cheeks on the same side of the infected
tooth. This will temporarily sooth and alleviate some discomfort before heading to the hospital.
Broken Wires From Braces
When wires from braces are broken, it can cause lacerations inside the mouth and other injuries.
This can lead to infection and can be life-threatening. When this happens, do not cut or remove the
broken wire yourself. This will help prevent any additional injuries and accidents from occurring.
Instead, try to wrap the broken wire with a piece of cotton or gauze to prevent the sharp edge
from cutting the inside of your mouth. If laceration has occurred, clean the cut first then wrap the
broken wire. Try to be generous with the cotton or gauze as this is protecting you from serious
injury. Seek medical attention immediately by visiting an emergency room.
These are only a few dental emergencies that may happen and what you should do when it occurs.
As with any emergency, try to remain calm. Wash your hands before attempting to handle the
situation. Use a first-aid kit as your first response to any dental emergency before heading to a
hospital.