Know How To Deal With Dental Emergencies

1. Dealing with Dental Emergencies B E T T E RT E E T H , B E T T E R H E A L T H

2. Better Teeth, Better health!! Your pearly whites are assets which must be taken care of on a regular basis. Any sort of injury to the teeth or gums can cause long term harm leading to a risk of even permanent damage. For all dental emergencies, it is vital to visit one’s dentist as early as possible.

3. Listed below are some simple safety measures to avoid accident and injury to the teeth:   • Wear a mouth guard when participating in sports or recreational activities. • Avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels and hard candy, all of which can crack a tooth. • Use scissors and not teeth to cut things.

4. What to do during a dental emergency? Fromachippedtoothtoseverepainandswelling, the followingdentaldisastershavebeencovered! • Knocked out Tooth: Find the missing tooth, hold it by the enamel covered crown and not the root. Rinse it off with water, do not scrub it! Try to put back the tooth in its original spot and hold it that position or store it in a cup of milk while reaching the emergency dentist. • Toothache: Rinse mouth thoroughly with warm water. If the toothache is caused by food stuck in between teeth, try using dental floss to dislodge it. Alternatively apply a cold compress while waiting to see the dentist.

5. • Chipped and Broken Teeth: Save any pieces of the broken tooth. Use warm water to rinse the oral cavity clean. Apply gauze for 10 minutes if there is bleeding and use a cold compress on the outside of the mouth to keep swelling down while waiting to see an emergency dentist. • Broken Braces: Use a pencil eraser to try to fold any sharp ends of the wires back down safely. If that doesn’t work; use orthodontic wax to cover the wire, or gauze. Get an appointment with the orthodontistto fix it.

6. • Abscess: This is an infection that is around the root of the tooth and a serious condition which calls for a dentist’s appointment immediately. While waiting at the dentist’s office, rinse with warm salty water to clean the oral cavity. • Soft-tissue injuries: Injuries to the soft tissues, which include the tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips, can result in bleeding. To control the bleeding rinse mouth with a mild salt-water solution. Alternatively use a moistened piece of gauze or tea bag to apply pressure to the bleeding site for 15 to 20 minutes. If the bleeding doesn't stop, consult dentist right away or go to a hospital emergency room.

7. • Lost Filling: Use a piece of sugarless gum to cover the empty cavity, or over the counter dental cement can also be used. Make sure to consult the dentist as soon as possible.

8. Bridge or Dentures, the one which is better suited In order to fix one or more missing teeth, one can opt for a number of replacement treatments. While choosing between dentures and bridges, one must consider how each will coexist with the rest of the teeth. Both fill spaces, prevent teeth from shifting, and improve the ability to chew and talk, but depending on the structure of the teeth, both function differently and require exclusive maintenance.

9. Pick Invisalign for Straighter Teeth With comfort and convenience in mind, Invisalign’s treatment process allows one to have his teeth straightened without having to use unattractive and sharp braces. Its salient features are: • Clear aligners are practically invisible • Smooth comfortable plastic aligners • Removable for easy cleaning • Eat whatever one wishes to • Easy flossing and brushing

10. Life is short, smile while you still have teeth: Walk-in dental clinic makes it easy to have dental emergencies treated without the long wait for an appointment. Most dentists squeeze out time from within their busy schedule for emergency patients, so one must make sure to call on the dentist and let him know of the extent of his injury. In case the dental clinic is not open, visit the local emergency room instead. There are ample Emergency Dentists and Family Dentists practicing in Toledo and Maumee, Ohio.