What should you do during a dental emergency?

Medical emergencies can happen to anyone, and we are already prepared for that. We follow a healthy lifestyle, have medical insurance and go for regular checkups. But do you know that your teeth are also at risk of having a dental emergency?

Here are a few possibilities of dental emergencies and how you can prevent them.

Fractured tooth

Contents

• Fractured tooth
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Tips during dental emergencies
• Tips to avoid dental emergencies

The pressure from teeth grinding, or blow on the mouth during any contact sport, may cause a fracture in a tooth. This may result in unbearable pain, swelling and sensitivity to hot and cold foods.

A cracked or fractured tooth is not easily visible. X-ray too cannot always show the cracks but they may reveal the issues in the pulp of your teeth.

Bleeding

If a patient is taking anticoagulants like coumadin/heparin or has Vitamin K deficiency, there are more chances of increased bleeding.

It may even apply when a patient has a bleeding disorder like hemophilia. It is, thus, very important for the patient to tell his/her medical history in depth before the treatment begins.

Infection

Our mouth is full of bacteria where there is a high risk of infection. Generally, a dentist gives antibiotics to prevent infection.

But if the patient has swelling or pus for a long time, the bleeding may continue and acute pain and infection may increase.

Tips during dental emergencies

1. For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse your mouth using warm water to avoid infection.
2. If you bite your tongue or lip, clean the injury site with water and apply a cold pack.
3. For tooth pain, rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out.
4. If you have a knocked-out tooth, wash it with water. Do not rub the tooth and place in it either milk, water, saliva or Save-a-tooth solution and visit your dentist within one hour.
5. Show your injury to your dentist immediately.

Tips to avoid dental emergencies

1. Avoid hard foods: These foods may cause fractures in tooth or pain and results in a dental emergency.
2. Wear a mouth guard: If you are playing any sport, wear a mouth guard to protect your teeth from injury.
3. Maintain proper oral hygiene.
4. Visit your dentist regularly to avoid further complications.