Common Dental Emergencies and How to Manage?

Dental emergencies can be most uncomfortable, very painful, and getting help as soon as possible is the only way to go. It can happen to anyone, at any time.

There are a few things one has to know in an emergency dental situation before getting to the dentist, in order to prevent any further damage and ease the pain.

With this in mind, following are some of the more common dental emergencies that you may experience at least once in your lifetime, and what you can do to ease the pain quickly.

Keep in mind that the following self managing methods are only to keep you comfortable and free of pain in emergency situations and visiting your dentist as soon as possible is mandatory.

1. Toothache

Tooth pain can indicate a range of dental problems and its cause should be identified so that it can be taken care off. Most common cause is due to pulp infections wherein the decay has reached the vital tissue of the tooth and exposed the nerves to all kinds of stimulus such as hot, cold, air, etc.

Tooth ache can also occur due to something stuck deep inside between two teeth. Try using a dental floss to remove whatever is lodged between your teeth. Do not use objects like safety pins or other sharp instrument as it can injure the gums. See your dentist to address the issue right away.

What to do ? >Use OTC pain killer medications. >Apply external cold compress. >Do warm saline rinses.

2. Knocked out or Loose Tooth

Incase of an accident/fall when a tooth is knocked out of its socket, its essential to not disturb the root of the tooth. If a tooth is loose, it is important to try and keep that tooth in its socket to prevent it from falling out. This can be accomplished by gently biting down on the tooth to hold it in place till you reach your dentist near by.

Incase, reinsertion isn’t possible, its best to preserve the intact tooth in milk or water and rush to the dentist. This is done to preserve it’s vitality.

Apply cold compress from outside the face to prevent any sort of swelling immediately.

"You should rinse the loose tooth quickly with some milk, or clean water. No chemicals or soap should be used to clean it."

"It is also crucial to put it back in the correct way; it should not be placed backwards."

3. Cracked Tooth

It can happen when you accidentally bite on a hard object or if your tooth has a large filling that has underlying decay as well. People who grind or clench their teeth are also more susceptible to chipping or cracking teeth.

If you are experiencing pain, then you may need to head straight to the chemist to get some over the counter pain killers.

Crack line needs to be traced clinically and multiple radiographs will be taken by the dentist to ascertain the future treatment protocol.

Apply cold compress from outside the face incase of pain, keep the tooth fragment if chipped, in a safe, clean packet filled with milk or normal saline and rush to your nearby dentist.

4. Dental Abscess

Abscess is an infection around the tooth and gums caused due to long standing decay. It usually manifests as small pimple like swelling in gums with pus discharge. In severe cases it may cause painful swelling of face and jaws and if untreated, can spread to other parts of the body.

What to do ? >Take a course of antibiotic and pain killer medications as directed by the doctor. >Do warm saline rinses to help relieve pain and swelling. >Consult your dentist at the earliest.

5. Loose Filling or Dislodged Crown

Both permanent and temporary restorations can become loose or fall out occasionally. If a filling fractures or falls off as a whole, you can use Vaseline, chapstick, or denture adhesive to keep the restoration in place until seeing your dentist. If your crown gets removed, keep it safely and bring it your dentist to get the same crown fixed.

5. Broken braces or poking wire

Eating hard or sticky food or improper aggressive brushing during braces treatment can sometimes cause metal brackets to break from the tooth surface or metal wires to dislodge which can start poking your lips or cheek. This can cause ulcerations and pain inside your mouth.

If a bracket falls off, keep it safe so that it can be refixed again. If the sharp end of a wire is bothering you, you can cut carefully that portion of the wire using a scissors or nail cutter.

Overall, toothaches, teeth that are chipped, cracked, loose, or missing, and missing dental restorations are considered to be common dental emergencies. When and if these dental emergencies happen to you or your family, be sure to see a dentist for emergency dental treatment.