A Complete Guide to Emergency Dental Care
You may never know when an unforeseen incident might occur, and it might give you critical injuries. Dental injuries are among the most common injuries found in most accidents. It is essential to visit your dentist for appropriate emergency treatment. Doing so will help you prevent further damage to the affected teeth and gums, restoring oral health. Here are some emergency scenarios you might encounter, along with guidance on how to deal with it.
1. Knocked out teeth need to be handled quickly.
If your tooth has become loose after the unfortunate accident, you should immediately consult a dentist. The chances of saving the tooth if treated within an hour are highest. If your tooth is completely knocked out, pick it by the crown, not the root. Wash it with water, but don't scrub it. Try to put the teeth back in position in a gentle way. If you cannot put it in the socket, soak it in a cup of milk or seawater to provide germs infestation.
2. Cold therapy for chipped/broken teeth
In scenarios where the teeth get chipped or broken instead of getting knocked out completely, the one thing you should do with priority is finding the broken pieces of those teeth. Rinse those broken pieces with warm water. If the affected area Is bleeding, stop the bleeding and visit disinfected cotton. If there is subsequent pain or swelling, use a cold compress on your cheek or lip near the position of the affected area. Book an appointment with Bloor Dental Clinic right away to repair the damaged teeth. Your dentist may use a filling or crown to restore the chipped/broken tooth.
3. Avoid using sharp objects to remove food particles.
It is a point to be noted that you should not, in any scenario, use a sharp object, such as a needle, hairpin, etc., to remove an item stuck between your teeth or on top of its crown. Even though it's understandably frustrating to draw a fruit seed, popcorn, or even a biscuit particle, the removal of such items with sharp objects will escalate an injury and may lead to bleeding and subsequent infection. Preferably use dental floss or take the assistance of your dentist.
4. Visiting your dentist is mandatory if your dental implant is damaged.
If you lose a filling, your dentist will use dental cement to temporarily seal the opening that was caused due to the potential accident. If a crown abutment gets knocked out without any damage to the gum's nerves, try cleaning it and use denture adhesive to place it again in the same position. If it is impossible to reattach it, keep it somewhere safe and clean to bring it to the dentist in its top condition. If there is an unusual amount of swelling in the affected area, the chances are high that the site has been Infected. If you let this infected area stay untreated, the infection can damage the impacted teeth and gums and spread to other body parts. This is the worst-case scenario; you would not want it to happen. Immediately reach out to your dentist and get treatment as soon as possible.
After reading about these scenarios, hopefully, it has been established that you shouldn't delay any treatment for an emergency like the one mentioned above. So, if you are from Toronto and facing a dental emergency Toronto, the sooner you visit your dentist, the better it will be for you. Try not to panic in such emergencies, focus on what you know, and do the needful accordingly.