Quick Solutions for 7 Common Dental Injuries

You are with your family enjoying a day at the zoo and then it happens…your child trips running to see the prairie dogs and ends up with a mouth injury. What do you do???

With school out and summer vacations and day trips right around the corner, dental emergencies are inevitable. Here is a summary of steps to take in the event of an emergency for you or someone else.

• Knocked-out tooth: If possible, retrieve the tooth holding it by the crown (the part you see in the mouth) and rinse off with water if it is dirty. Do not remove any tissue fragments. If possible, try to place the tooth back in its socket. If it’s not possible to reinsert the tooth, place in cup of milk or cup of water with a pinch of table salt. There is an over the counter product, Save-a-Tooth, that is also an option. See your dentist as soon as possible.
• Chipped or broken tooth: Rinse your mouth with warm water. If there is bleeding, apply gauze until the bleeding stops. You may use a cold compress to reduce swelling on the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip near the chipped or broken tooth.
  Extruded (partially dislodged) tooth: See your dentist as soon as possible. Apply a cold compress to the cheek or lip near the tooth. You may take an over the counter pain reliever if needed.
• Toothache: Rinse your mouth with warm water. Clean around the tooth using dental floss. If there is swelling, apply a cold compress to the face near the hurting tooth. Avoid placing aspirin or other painkiller on gum near aching tooth as this can burn the gum tissue.
• Object caught between teeth: Use floss to clean around tooth and remove object. Never, use sharp objects or other tools to remove food or other debris.
• Lost filling: Call your dentist as soon as possible and use an over the counter pain reliever for any sensitivity.
• Soft tissue injury (tongue, cheeks, gums, and lips): Rinse mouth with mild salt-water solution. Use a moistened piece of gauze and apply pressure to bleeding site until bleeding stops. Pain relief can be controlled by holding a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek for 5-10 minutes. See your dentist immediately or go to an emergency room if the bleeding does not stop.

In any of the emergencies, please call us. We want to get you back to summer FUN!!!

For more details, download this great quick reference guide.