Due to our wrong eating habits, accidents and poor dental care most of us at some or other point of time have to face dental issues. But, treating them right not only helps you reduce the suffering , but also helps you to control your dental problem from further damaging your teeth. So, here is a quick guide on how to deal with some dental emergencies:
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Toothache: A toothache may be due to teeth which are not flossed regularly or may be a sensitive nerve ending opened. The first step should be to floss and clean your teeth with a soft brush and apply ice or eat something cold to suppress the pain. Do not put heat near the mouth and avoid putting aspirin near the paining tooth. Warm saline water may also help if tooth ache is due to bad overall health.
- Soft tissue Injuries: If you happen to injure your teeth, gums or related tissue, the first step must be to use warm saline water. If the area bleeds, putting gauze with moistened tea bag helps. Cold compression is ideal first aid otherwise. Sometimes a soft tissue injury also occurs when one tries to pull out an object caught in between spaces in such cases a dental floss is the safest option.
- Dental Cavities: Untreated cavity or abscess cause throbbing pain which is constant. Often, it can take a wrong route and may affect the dental nerve or destroy the pulp making the condition worsen. Take the appointment of your dentist and treat the pain with acetaminophen or have ice creams to soothe the pain receptors.
- Chipped or Broken teeth: Accidents or falls may leave you with an ugly looking smile. If it’s a chip off, make sure of what you eat after the accident. Any sticky, sweet or hard food must not be taken. The dentist should be immediately contacted for restoration. On the contrary, if you have had a knock out, store the tooth in milk or saline water. A knocked tooth with or without any tissue can be out back to its place by a dentist if taken in an hour of the accident. You can also put the tooth back in the socket with light pressure.
- Disruption in Braces: When an adult or a kid are undergoing orthodontic treatment and have their braces on, there are lots of things which may happen accidentally. Breaking of braces wire or wire coming out may hurt the sensitive gums. Do not cut the wire yourself rather put it on the wax on it to avoid any cut or mark. See your dentist the next day; it will hardly take a few minutes to put the wire in its place.
- If fillings are loose: You may have got the dental filling done but if the filling is coming out, it indicates a cavity, or tooth decay which may or may not spread. A root canal treatment may help to avoid the spread of the tooth decay.
- Losing the crown: The first caution when a crown comes off is not to cement it with any kind of glue. If you have sensitive teeth put the crown on for some time, but a dentist visit is a must if the crown falls.
- Loosened Tooth: You can reposition the tooth if you know the tooth has loosened up inwards or outwards, using slight pressure. Do not force the tooth into the socket. Contact a dentist immediately. The tooth should be held in place or in a gauge or moist tissue while going to the dentist.