Easing The Pain Of A Dental Emergency

A dental emergency refers to damage to your smile, or painful symptoms that arise suddenly. When these happen, you should call us right away to arrange for a visit. Otherwise, you could risk the onset of cavities and infections. In today’s blog, your Cleveland, TX, dentist talks about easing the discomfort of a dental emergency.

Common Issues You Shouldn’t Ignore

When an issue is potentially life threatening, you should call 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency room. But others, you should give us a call and even if this call occurs outside of normal business hours, we can arrange a time to see you at the next available opportunity. Common examples of a dental emergency include objects caught between teeth, sudden toothaches, loose or missing crowns or fillings, or cracked or chipped teeth. A tooth that is knocked out or loose is a cause for concern as well. When these issues occur, don’t delay, give us a call to undergo treatment. Otherwise even minor damage could leave teeth vulnerable to decay or infection in the months to come.

Easing Your Discomfort

After you call us regarding your dental emergency, you can take steps to ease your discomfort until we can see you. For toothaches and objects caught between teeth, gently floss on each side of the tooth and rinse with warm water. Never use anything other than floss, as you risk damaging the teeth or gums. If a tooth is chipped or broken, try to recover any pieces and bring them with you. You can keep bleeding under control with cloth or gauze, and a cold compress to the side of the face reduces swelling. If a crown or filling is compromised or gone, avoid very sugary foods and drinks, or items that are especially hot or cold, as the tooth is exposed and vulnerable.

If a tooth is knocked out, then pick it up by the crown (never touch the root) and rinse it under running water to remove dirt and debris, but take care to keep tissues in place. Place it into the socket and gently bite down to keep in place if you’re heading right to us. You can also place it in a sealed container of milk or salt water.

Repairing Your Teeth

Our team can often repair minor damage with dental bonding in one visit, and can replace any lost fillings or crowns. We could restore the knocked-out tooth too. To help lower the risk of future injuries, be sure you wear a mouthguard when playing full contact sports!

Talk To Your Cleveland, TX Dentist About Emergency Dentistry

We would like to help you avoid issues that could threaten the stability of your smile. For more information on treating or preventive dental emergencies, then contact your Cleveland, TX, dentist, Dr. Uhrenholdt, by calling (281) 592-1234.