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Prepare Yourself For A Dental Emergency When suffering from a dental emergency, you can't simply call 911 for help. Regardless of the severity of the emergency, there are a few things you can do on your own until you can get to your dentist for professional help. The fist step you should take in a dental emergency is contact your dentist office. If after hours, most offices will have an answering service that will provide general care instructions. Most services will contact your dentist to relay the message in the case of an emergency. What You Can Do If You Lose A Tooth, Crown Or Filling If by chance you dislodge or knock-out a tooth, rinse the tooth carefully, and try to place it gently back into the socket. If it isn't possible to replace the tooth, put it in a container with milk or a cup of water with a pinch of salt. However, the tooth will have the best chance of recovery if placed back into the socket within an hour of being dislodged. Visit your dentist as soon as possible for further attention. For dislodged crowns, contact your dentist immediately to set up an appointment. For temporary relief, slip the crown back over your tooth, and secure it with toothpaste or denture adhesive until you can see your dentist. All glues, specifically superglues, should never be used to repair a crown. Lose a filling? Place sugarless gum into the filling hole until you can see your dentist for a permanent repair. Handling Traumatic Injuries For a traumatic injury to your mouth, such as chipped or broken teeth, you should first rinse your mouth with a mild salt water solution. Stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the injured area with a moistened gauze or tea bag. Swelling and pain will almost always accompany these injuries and can be reduced with a cold compress. If you can't stop the bleeding or the pain is too much to handle, go to your nearest emergency center immediately and call your dentist. What To Do For Abscesses And Toothaches The pain associated with a toothache or abscess can be unbearable. If you can't see your dentist right away, follow these steps to manage the pain. Apply a cold compress to the affected area on the outside of your cheek. Avoid placing an aspirin on the affected tooth. While many suggest this remedy for relief, the aspirin can actually burn your gums and thin your blood, worsening the situation. Instead, take acetaminophen as directed to help ease the pain. You can also try cleaning your mouth with a salt water rinse and floss to remove food particles that may be agitating the affected area. Be sure to visit your dentist as soon as you can for professional help. Unfortunately, dental emergencies do occur when we least expect them. These simple tips can provide you much needed relief until you can seek treatment from your regular dental professional.
Chris Hartmen writes for Greenway Dental Group,a family and cosmetic dentist Greenbelt, MD. This greenbelt, MD dentist offers preventative checkups, whitening, dental procedures and emergency treatment.
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