When you have chipped a tooth, lost a crown, or have a tooth knocked-out, these are examples of dental emergencies and they need attention right away! We also have a few tips for minimizing the initial discomfort of a dental emergency. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about treatment for dental emergencies.
Common Examples of Dental Emergencies
What is an example of a dental emergency? Well, this includes any injuries or pains in your smile that are not life threatening and do not require a call to 911, but still require immediate care to stop discomfort and prevent complications like tooth decay and dental infection down the road. A chipped, cracked, or broken tooth is an example, as is sudden and unexplained pain in a tooth. Something caught between your teeth that floss cannot remove needs attention, as does a missing or loose filling or crown, or a broken dental prosthetic. When these issues occur, you should contact our team right away. Even if the dental emergency happens outside of normal business hours, we want to see you and offer care, so call right away.
Taking Steps to Minimize Discomfort
Once the injury occurs, you can take steps to ease discomfort and prevent unnecessary complications. For example, rinse with warm water. If an object is caught between the teeth, use only floss to try and dislodge it. If a tooth is injured, then use cloth or a bit of gauze to control the bleeding. You can also ease facial swelling with a cold compress to the side of the face. If a restoration is lost or missing, then avoid very hot or cold foods and drinks, or items high in sugar, as the exposed tooth is very sensitive. If you can gather any pieces of a tooth, do so and bring them with you. If a tooth is knocked out, pick it up by the crone only, don’t touch the root, and place it in a sealed container of milk or salt water and bring it with you. You can take an over-the-counter pain reliever too!
Restoring Your Tooth
Our team will examine your tooth and then choose the most appropriate treatment to repair it. For example, minor damage could be repaired in one visit with dental bonding. We could also create a custom dental crown to address injuries, and we can restore a knocked-out tooth to its proper position in your smile. If you have any questions about treating dental emergencies, then contact our team today.
DO YOU NEED EMERGENCY DENTISTRY?
If you want to address your missing teeth, or would like to learn more about our fixed prosthetic options, call Delightful Dental Care in Kansas City, MO, today at (816)942-7669.