4 Dental Emergencies and What To Do When They Happen

If you have a dental emergency, always be sure to call your dentist right away and get into them as soon as possible. If your dentist isn’t available to any reason, try seeing a local emergency dentist. If you aren’t sure what constitutes a dental emergency, take a look at this list from a team of dentists in Twin Falls.

Knocked out tooth

When a tooth gets knocked out, the most important thing is to find the tooth. Pick it up by the crown (the surface you chew with) and gently rinse it off with water if it’s dirty – don’t scrub it.

If you can, replace the tooth into its socket and hold it there with your fingers or by gently biting down until you get to the dentist. If this isn’t an option for you, place the tooth in a cup of milk (don’t use tap water) to keep it moist until you arrive at the dentist.

Get to your dentist office within 30 minutes if possible, but don’t panic if it takes you up to an hour.

Loose tooth

Getting a loose tooth as an adult is not a good sign. Call your dentist right away for an emergency appointment.

Don’t pick at or wiggle your tooth around. Remember, your tooth is not supposed to be loose. Leave it alone and make sure it stays clean until you get into the dentist. If it takes a couple days to get into the dentist, just eat soft foods and baby your tooth.  

Chipped, fractured tooth

A chipped tooth that doesn’t hurt isn’t necessarily an emergency and can wait a few days until you get into the dentist. But if you have a cracked or fractured tooth, especially that is causing your severe pain, call your dentist and tell them to expect you in that day.

Oftentimes a fractured tooth isn’t just damage to the surface and can go down to the root as well. If you have a fractured tooth, rinse your mouth out with warm water, apply a cold compress (if it is the result of a face injury), and take Tylenol to relieve the pain.

The dentist will take an X-ray of the injured tooth and discuss with you the best courses of action to proceed.

Tissue injury, facial pain

Injuries to your tongue, the inside of your cheek, roof of your mouth, lips, or anywhere on your mouth are considered dental emergencies. For puncture wounds, tears, or any other lacerations, rinse your mouth out gently with warm water and apply a clean gauze to the wound. You can also take a Tylenol to relieve the pain.

Get into an oral surgeon or emergency room at a hospital as soon as you can.