Responding to a Common Dental Emergency

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For Emergency Dental Help AFTER Office Hours Call: 989-642-2844.

Any dental emergency can be potentially serious. Not only do you risk further damage to your teeth but your situation, untreated, may result in more extensive and costly dental procedures to repair the damage. Ignoring dental problems can in some instances result in serious medical complications as well.
Following are suggestions for dealing with common dental emergencies:

Abscess:

An abscess is an infection that occurs around the root of a tooth but can sometimes occur between teeth. An abscess can be very serious because it will damage the gums and bone surrounding the abscessed tooth and can damage other teeth also. Infections in the mouth can spread to other parts of the body and may cause serious medical complications.

Because of the medical complications that can arise from a dental abscess one should seek the help of a dentist as soon as possible. To help prevent the spread of infection place warm saline water in your mouth and hold it in the area of the abscessed tooth. (1/2 teaspoon salt in a cup of water as warm as you can tolerate without injuring yourself further.) On the outside place chipped ice (in a plastic bag) or a bag of frozen peas on the area. Both should be wrapped in a towel to prevent frost-bite prior to placing them on your face. (To help control the infection place heat inside and cold outside your mouth.)  

Toothache:

A toothache is one of the most severe pains humans experience and is a warning that something is terribly wrong with a tooth - often painful teeth will abscess. Rinse your mouth with body temperature water in an effort to rinse away any food which might be causing pain. Dental floss or a toothpick can be used to gently remove any food not removed by rinsing. Apply an ice pack (wrapped in a wash cloth or towel), alternating 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off, to your cheek near the painful tooth. This may help reduce the pain. If you use pain medication do not ever place it in your mouth on or near the tooth. Pain medication, such as aspirin or acetaminophen, is made to be swallowed with a full glass of water. Placing it next to your tooth in your mouth can result in chemical burns to your gum tissue. See your dentist as soon as possible.

Chipped Tooth or Broken Tooth:

Save any pieces of the chipped or broken tooth. Rinse them and place them in a zip-lock bag. If you are bleeding apply a piece of gauze to the area for 10-20 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Applying a cold compress to the injured area will help relieve pain and reduce any possible swelling. Wrap the compress in a wash cloth or towel and place it on your face in the injured area for 10 minutes at a time. See your dentist as soon as possible.

Lost Filling:

Place a piece of sugarless gum in the cavity. Don't use gum with sugar as the sugar will probably make the tooth hurt. Another option; get some temporary dental cement from the drugstore. Follow the directions on the label. See a dentist as soon as possible.

Lost Crown:

If the crown comes off of a tooth DO NOT use super glue to put it back on! Make an appointment with your dentist right away and take your crown with you so the dentist can re-cement it if your tooth and crown are in good condition. If you can't get to a dentist right away and the tooth is painful use a cotton swab to apply a little oil of cloves to the sensitive area. (Oil of Cloves is available at a drug store or in the spice aisle of your grocery store.)

Check to see if the crown is clean inside and all loose cement fragments and food debris are rinsed out. If possible, slide the crown back on the tooth to check the fit making sure it's completely in place and that your teeth fit together properly. Remove the crown (a toothpick lifting at the edge of the crown will help you get it back off). Then place a little over-the-counter dental cement, denture adhesive (like Fixodent) or toothpaste in the crown to help hold it on your tooth until your dentist can cement it permanently. Check your bite making sure the crown is not higher than it should be as this may make your tooth sore in a few days. Again, DO NOT use super glue!

Knocked-out Tooth:

Recover the tooth if possible, holding it by the crown, the part covered by enamel. Do not hold it by the root if possible. If the tooth is dirty rinse it off with clean water. Do NOT scrub it or remove any tissue fragments that might be attached as they can help with re-attachment to your jaw bone. If possible try to insert the tooth in its socket but make sure it's facing the correct way. Never try to force it into place. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth, place it in a cup of milk or a cup of water with a pinch of salt or use Save-a-Tooth, often available at your drugstore. Teeth that have the highest chances of being saved are those that are re-inserted by a dentist within 1 hour of being knocked out.

Extruded (partially dislodged) Tooth:

Get to your dentist as soon as possible. To relieve your pain until you reach the office apply a cold compress to your face in the area of the affected tooth (wrapped in a wash cloth or towel). You can take an OTC (over-the-counter) pain medication such as Advil or Tylenol. Try to avoid placing any pressure on the tooth itself.

Objects Caught Between Teeth:

Gently try to remove the object with dental floss or a toothpick. If you can't dislodge it see your dentist. Don't use sharp objects, such as a pin, to try to remove it as these may damage your tooth or gums.

Soft-tissue Injuries:

Injuries to parts of your mouth like your tongue, cheeks, gum tissue and lips can result in bleeding. To control the bleeding follow the steps below -

1. Rinse the injured area with a mild, warm salt-water solution (1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of water);
2. Use a moistened piece of gauze or tea bag to apply pressure to the area of bleeding. Hold it in place for about 20 minutes;
3. A cold compress applied to the injured area will help control bleeding and relieve pain. Always wrap the cold compress in a wash cloth or towel before placing on the injury. Apply it for only 10 minutes at a time;
4. If the bleeding doesn't stop see your dentist right away or go to a ready med facility or a hospital emergency room. Continue applying pressure to the injured area until you can be seen and treated.

Broken Orthodontic Wires, Loose Brackets and Bands:

If a wire breaks or slips out of a bracket never cut it off as you could inadvertently swallow it or breathe it into your lungs. Instead try using a pencil eraser to bend the end of the wire in toward the tooth so it doesn't poke you. Or try to cover the end with a little ball of cotton, piece of gauze or orthodontic wax until you can get to your orthodontist's office.

If a bracket comes loose call your orthodontist explaining the situation. Save any bands or brackets that come off of your teeth as they may be needed to repair your braces.