Dental implants can make a smile look fabulous – I know I have them. However, if you are just thinking about getting them, you may have a lot of questions. You may be wondering how smoking affects implants, whether or not wine will stain them, if they can be whitened or other concerns. I also know from experience that it can be intimidating to ask some of these questions to your dentist. In my dental implant blog, I am going to answer the questions that can be hard to ask. I hope you find the info you need in this blog and that it guides you to the right decision about dental implants. Thanks for reading!
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How to Handle 3 Dental Emergencies before Getting to The Dentist's Office
Isobel Berry
Like other emergencies, dental accidents don't always come at the most convenient times. Sometimes you may need an emergency appointment, which is why it's important to have the contacts of the closest emergency dentist at home, as well as if you travel elsewhere. The immediate actions taken following an accident/ emergency occurrence determine the extent of damage following injury. This article provides tips to minimize damage resulting from various injuries in the time it takes to get to the dentist.
1. Cuts in the mouth
Small cuts in the tongue, cheek, gums or lips are common and self-limiting; you don't need emergency intervention unless there's an underlying condition such as a bleeding disorder. Simply apply an ice compress to the bruised or swollen area to relieve pain. You can also exert gentle but firm pressure to stop any bleeding. If bleeding doesn't stop after about 10 minutes, call your emergency dentist.
You should also call one for long or deep cuts, such as those exceeding 1 cm. Clean out the blood to see the injured area clearly, then try to stop bleeding by applying pressure with a sterile bandage as you rush to the dentist. A cold compress can relieve pain/swelling. If you need to take medication, avoid painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin which have blood-thinning properties and can make bleeding worse. Acetaminophen painkillers like Tylenol are better.
2. Knocked-out teeth (milk and permanent)
Even though they will fall out, improper management of injured milk teeth can permanently damage the gum or permanent tooth below. If a milk tooth gets unnaturally knocked out, don't try to fit it back in. Instead, rinse out the tooth with clean water and soak in saliva or milk to keep it from drying. Try to stop any bleeding as described above, and use a cold compress (e.g. frozen peas in a dish-towel) to numb the area, relieving pain. Carry the child and tooth to the dentist in the shortest time possible.
For adult/permanent teeth, pick up the tooth by the crown; avoid touching the root to avoid nerve damage. Rinse under running water (just enough to remove dirt and blood – a few seconds tops) without scrubbing the root area. If you can, try to reposition the tooth in the socket. If not, place the tooth in milk or saliva and head to the dentist.
3. Broken or fractured teeth
Depending on severity of damage, broken teeth can necessitate emergency intervention. If there's no damage to the pulp, a moderately fractured tooth can be restored, but severely fractured teeth often have little chance of complete recovery. Call your dentist if you have a fracture. Collect the fragment, rinse as above and transport in milk. Use a cold compress if there's swelling and/or pain; you can add acetaminophen for extreme pain. Rinse out the mouth with water or dilute salt solution if there's bleeding.
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