Responding To Common Dental Emergencies

When you face a dental emergency situation, you can take actions to reduce discomfort and damage before seeing us. In today’s blog, we’re going to look at what steps you should take in between your injury and seeing your Newhall, CA, dentist. Remember, the right steps can ease pain and help protect your smile from complications!

Chipped Teeth

We can chip our teeth in a sports injury, or sometimes simply by biting down on a hard piece of food. When you chip a tooth, try to pick up any pieces you can recover and bring them with you to the office. If this isn’t possible, we can still repair the tooth. In the meantime, use a cold compress against the side of the face to control swelling, and a piece of cloth or gauze to stem the bleeding. You can take an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease discomfort while in route to see us. Remember, even if the chip appears minor, this could still potentially expose inner tooth structure and increase the risk of cavities, so don’t forget to schedule a visit immediately.

Knocked-Out Teeth

Don’t panic if you knock out a tooth. Pick up your tooth by the crown, or visible portion, and never touch the root. Rinse it under gently running water, we want to remove foreign debris and dirt, but not any tissue. Place the tooth in a glass of milk or salt water and bring it with you to the office. You can also place it back into the socket and gently bite down to hold in place.

Damaged or Missing Restorations

Should a filling or crown become loose or fall out, see is right away. A damaged or missing restoration means the sensitive inner tooth structure is exposed. Pain could follow consumption of sugary foods or drinks, and eventually, the risk of cavities and infection increase. See us right away for repair or replacement!

Objects Stuck Between Your Teeth

If something becomes lodged between your teeth and floss cannot remove it, let us know. Never use anything other than floss to try and remove it, you could end up damaging your tooth or your gum tissue and making the situation much worse. Also, be sure to let us know if you encounter a sudden and severe toothache, as this could potentially mean a cavity or fracture has occurred that needs attention. If you have any questions about our emergency care, then please contact our team today.

Do You Have Questions About Dental Emergencies?

Don’t ignore dental damage or serious discomfort, please let us know right away. To learn more about our approach to emergency dentistry, then schedule a consultation by calling Newhall Dental Arts in Newhall, CA, today at (661) 259-7760.