Your Oral Health

Dental Emergencies

It’s a brutal fact, but emergencies most often occur outside dentist office opening hours. It’s most often in the middle of the night, on a national holiday or on the weekend that you lose a tooth, or find yourself with a toothache that makes you want to scream.

That’s why the New Brunswick Dental Society has compiled the following list of do’s and don’ts for dental emergencies. In all cases, you should visit your dentist as soon as possible. Follow these tips while you wait to see your dentist.

Toothache

  • Do rinse your mouth with warm water to clean it out.
  • Do use dental floss to remove any food that may be trapped between the teeth.
  • Don’t place aspirin on the aching tooth or gum tissues.
  • Do see your dentist as soon as possible.

Knocked-Out Tooth

  • Do rinse the tooth in running water if it’s dirty.
  • Don’t scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments.
  • Do gently insert and hold the tooth in its socket, or place the tooth in the mouth between the upper back teeth and the cheek.
  • Do go straight to your dentist – if you get there in 30 minutes or less, there’s a good chance the tooth can be put back in its rightful place.

Broken Tooth

  • Do gently clean dirt from the injured area with warm water.
  • Do place cold compresses on the face in the area of the injured tooth to decrease swelling.
  • Do go to the dentist immediately.

Bitten Tongue or Lip

  • Do apply direct pressure to the bleeding area with a clean cloth.
  • Do apply cold compresses if swelling is present.
  • Do go to the emergency room if the bleeding doesn’t stop.

Braces and Retainer Problems

  • Do use a small cotton ball, beeswax or piece of gauze if a wire is causing irritation.
  • Don’t remove a wire that gets stuck in your cheek, tongue or gum tissue; see a dentist or orthodontist.
  • Do go to the dentist or orthodontist if an appliance comes loose or breaks.

Objects Caught Between Teeth

  • Do try to remove the object with floss, being careful not to cut the gums.
  • Don’t use a sharp or pointed instrument.
  • Do go to the dentist if you can’t remove it.

Possible Broken Jaw

  • Don’t move your jaw.
  • Do secure it in place by tying a handkerchief, necktie or towel around the jaw and over the top of your head.
  • Do apply cold compresses if swelling is present.
  • Do go immediately to a hospital emergency room.

If you have questions about a potential problem not listed here, don’t hesitate to ask your dentist. While there is no substitute for a visit to your dentist’s office, their words of advice can be very reassuring in a time of crisis.