Watching your son or daughter’s championship soccer game may be one of the proudest, most exhilarating moments of your life. Your adrenaline is pumping as they’re sprinting down the field towards the opposing goalie. Your child’s adrenaline is flowing freely as well, causing them to run directly into an opposing team member. You see excessive amounts of blood and your child pick up their front tooth from off the field. Panicking, you wonder, “What do we do?!” You should call your emergency dentist in Crete. What other situations do you need to call us?
Types of Dental Emergencies
Crete Family Dental understands that no matter how much we try to prevent them, accidents happen. Some are worse than others. It is important to know the proper action needed to prevent you from major health care problems down the road. If certain instances are not treated correctly or in a timely manner, these scenarios may lead to much more severe issues. Here are some common situations that constitute as dental emergencies:
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Lost or knocked out teeth
- Lost dental crowns
- Severe toothaches
- Swelling gums (sign of infection)
- Bitten tongue or lip
- Broken jaws
If you ever find yourself or a loved one experiencing a dental emergency, don’t hesitate to call our office. Our patient’s safety is always a priority, so if you are dealing with a severe injury such as lost teeth due to a deep laceration, go to the emergency room to get necessary medical attention. Give our office a call after all priority health concerns are cared for. We would be happy to help you explore various options on how to reconstruct your smile once we know that you are safe.
Handling a Dental Emergency Between Visiting Your Crete Emergency Dentist
Being equipped with the necessary knowledge on how to handle dental emergencies may be the difference between undergoing a minor oral procedure and missing major parts of your dental structure. Dr. Andre Rossini will give you helpful information on how to treat your major dental emergencies until the necessary medical attention is available.
For chipped or broken teeth, save any pieces. Rinse your mouth and the pieces using warm water. If there’s bleeding, apply gauze to the area until the bleeding stops along with a cold compress to keep any swelling down and relieve pain.
For a knocked out tooth, be sure to retrieve it. Rinse it if it is dirty and if possible, try to put the tooth back in place facing the right way. Never force it into the socket. If it’s not possible to re-insert the tooth in the socket, put the tooth in a small container of milk (or cup of water containing a pinch of table salt).You have the highest chance of saving your tooth if you keep it moist and see your dentist within an hour of the incident.
For severe toothaches, rinse your mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between your teeth. Avoid using aspirin on aching teeth or gum issues.
Tips to Avoid Dental Emergencies
Although these tips are not bulletproof, you can take these precautionary steps to avoid dental emergencies. Informing your family and friends about this comprehensive information may save their smiles from irreversible damage. These tips include:
- Wearing a mouthguard when participating in sports or recreational activities to avoid knocking out teeth.
- Avoiding chewing hard substances such as ice, popcorn kernels, and hard candy to avoid cracking a tooth.
- Using your hands or tools to open packages, NOT your teeth to avoid unnecessary lacerations to your gums.
- Using floss to remove particles between your teeth, NOT sharp foreign objects to avoid infections and unnecessary lacerations.
Dr. Rossini is dedicated to providing patients with quality, personalized care that gives them much-needed relief. Please contact our Crete office today if you’re in need of emergency assistance! Patients from Hallam, Willard, and other nearby areas are welcomed.