If you are experiencing a dental emergency, it is important to seek professional help as soon as possible. If it is after hours, your local office will usually have an emergency line you can contact. If you are experiencing bleeding that will not stop, injured jaw, painful toothache, or loose or knocked out teeth and you can’t get in contact with your dentist visit an emergency room. Here are a few tips on how to handle common dental emergencies.emergency-dentist

Broken Tooth: Save any piece of the broken tooth, and apply a cold compress to the site of the broken tooth to decrease any swelling and pain until you are seen by your dentist. Rinse your mouth using warm water. Make sure to bring the broken piece of tooth to the appointment if it’s possible.

Knocked Out Tooth: If your tooth is loose or knocked out rinse the tooth but do not remove and attached tissue. If it’s possible place the tooth in a glass of milk and go to your dentist right away. If you can’t place it in milk you can place it underneath your tongue or between your cheek and tooth. There is a chance the tooth can be placed back.

Injured Jaw: If you injured your jaw place a cold compress to the area of the injury. If your jaw locks and can’t go to your dental office, you can go to the emergency room.

Toothache: Rinse your mouth with warm water, and floss between the teeth to make sure there isn’t any food causing the pain. Visit your dentist as soon as possible to avoid any further damages to your tooth.

Abscess: If you see a bump or swelling on the gum area, you can rinse with warm salt water and contact your dentist as soon as possible. The dentist can help you relieve you from pain and most important drain the abscess. If dental abscess is left untreated it can spread to other parts of the body and can damage tissue and surrounding teeth.

Broken Filling: For broken or loose fillings, you can place an over the counter dental cement on the tooth with the broken or loose filling, or place a sugarless gum until you see your treating dentist.

Loose Crown: If a crown falls off see your dentist as soon as possible and bring the crown with you. There is a chance the dentist can re-cement if there is no cavity or other problem on the tooth. Make sure you have the dentist check the tooth before trying to re-cement it yourself.

Broken Braces and Wires: If you have orthodontic treatment and you feel poking from a bracket or wire you can place wax to the sharp side to avoid any discomfort. See your orthodontist as soon as possible.

To prevent dental emergencies complete all the treatment that your dentist is recommending. If you put on hold fillings, crowns, or root canal they worsen with time and cause issues in the future. Maintaining a good oral hygiene is also important in preventing dental emergencies. Avoid hard or sticky food or snacks. Dental Emergencies are never fun, but scheduling and visiting your dentist regularly will help avoid many emergencies. If you have any questions or an emergency you can contact your friendly staff of Smiles on Bristol Dentistry. /contact-us/