Dental emergencies can be painful and frightening. It is quite normal for accidents to occur and having the knowledge on what to do when they happen makes all the difference between losing and saving a tooth. When faced with a dental emergency, it is important to see a local dentist. However there are some tips on how to handle common dental emergencies before getting to a dentist’s office and they are listed below.
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Home care tips for handling dental emergencies
- For a permanent adult tooth that is knocked-out, it is advisable to keep it moist always. If possible, try placing the tooth back in its socket without touching the root. If it is impossible to do that, place it in between your gums and cheek or use a tooth preservation product and visit a local dentist immediately.
- If a tooth is cracked, rinse your mouth immediately with warm water to clean the area. It may be a good idea to put cold compresses on the face to reduce any swelling.
- For toothaches, the mouth should be rinsed with warm water in order to clean it out. A gentle dental floss should then be used to remove any particles that may be caught in between the teeth. Many people make the common mistake of putting aspirin on the aching tooth but this should not be the case because the gums may get burnt.
- Put a knocked out tooth in a glass of milk until you get to your local dentist.
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Precautionary measures to avoid teeth injury and teeth accidents
- Never use your teeth to cut things, use scissors instead
- Avoid chewing hard candy, popcorn kernels and ice all of which can cause tooth cracks.
- When participating in recreational or sport activities, make sure you wear a mouth guard to prevent injuries to your teeth.
- Brush your teeth after every meal to prevent buildup of bacteria which causes tooth decay and consequently toothaches.
Particular dental emergencies are urgent while others can wait. It is important to know the difference between the two. Urgent dental emergencies include;
- Painful toothaches
- A knocked out permanent tooth
- Injured jaw
- Painful swelling
- Nonstop bleeding
Emergency dentists in Cambridge have an emergency number in the event that someone experiences any of the above mentioned symptoms outside of working hours. Preventing future occurrences of dental emergencies after undergoing one is a question many people ask and the following are some of the steps you can take.
- Ensure that you complete any treatment recommended by your local dentist. Do not put off filling a root canal or a crown. This only puts you at risk for unexpected pain in future because dental problems get worse over time.
- Make it a habit of visiting your local dentist for comprehensive hygiene visits at least twice yearly. From these visits, you get to learn from your dentist on how to handle dental emergencies and you are able to reduce your chances of having something unexpected or painful popping up in your mouth.
- Get to know from your local dentist whether you have gum or periodontal disease because if that is the case, you may require extra hygiene visits to the dentist every year.