From a broken tooth to losing a tooth altogether, a dental
emergency can happen anywhere, at any time. It is very
important for everyone to understand what needs to be
done if such a problem occurs.
Like any emergency, it is important to stay calm and
assess the situation. You should call for Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) if you feel the dental emergency
warrants immediate care and attention, but not all
problems require that. Here are the most common dental
emergencies with a link to the recommended courses of
action for each.
Dental Emergency: Broken or Cracked Tooth
What causes a tooth to break or crack can vary from biting
down on a hard piece of food, or being hit in the mouth
playing a sport. Regardless of how a tooth breaks or
cracks, chances are the nerve of the tooth will be exposed,
causing a great deal of pain and discomfort. An exposed
nerve is hyper-sensitive to temperature, especially cold
and requires immediate treatment from a dentist. Here,
you will find information on what you should do
immediately after a tooth breaks or cracks in order to keep
yourself comfortable until you can see your dentist.
Dental Emergency: A Lost/Knocked Out Tooth
Known as an avulsed tooth, having a tooth knocked out
can be very frightening, and very painful at the same time.
When a tooth is knocked out, there is a great deal of
hemorrhaging that occurs, which needs to be dealt with
immediately, bu did you know it is sometimes possible to
save your lost tooth and have it reimplanted?
Because time is of the essence when a tooth has been
knocked out, understanding how to inspect, clean, and
reimplant a tooth that has been knocked out prior to
seeing your dentist will hopefully increase the chances for
a successful reimplantation of the lost tooth.
Dental Emergency: Cut Inside the Mouth
A cut inside the mouth, also known as a soft tissue
laceration is common with most traumatic dental
emergencies because the tissues inside and around the
mouth are very delicate. Sometimes, a laceration can
occur on the outside of the mouth, depending on how the
trauma occurred.
When dealing with a laceration, it is very important to
make sure that any hemorrhaging from the wound is
controlled. Uncontrolled bleeding may lead to shock, which
may cause death if not treated immediately.
Dental Emergency: Bitten Lip or Tongue
If you have never experienced biting down on your lip or
tongue, consider yourself very lucky. Biting down on either
one of these delicate areas is very painful, and may cause
a lot of bleeding. There are times when biting on your lip or
tongue may require medical attention. Learn how to deal
with a dental emergency involving biting down on your lip
or tongue
.
Dental Emergency: Jaw Fracture and Dislocation
A fractured jaw or a dislocated jaw are both considered to
be very serious dental emergencies. The amount of force
necessary to break or dislocate a persons jaw will
undoubtedly cause significant trauma, and possibly other
serious life-threatening complications. Understanding how
to correctly handle a dental emergency involving a
possibly broken or dislocated jaw should become an
important part of every family's first aid protocol.
Preparedness is Key
Preparing for a dental emergency should become part of
your basic first aid preparedness plan. Dental emergencies
can happen out of the blue, in almost every situation
related to a potentially traumatic experience. Without
proper knowledge of how to handle a dental emergency, a
lost tooth may unfortunately become the least of your
worries
.
Readers Respond: Have You Had or Know of
Someone That's Had a Serious
Dental Emergency?
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