Dental trauma, as many may commonly refer to it, occurs due to falls, fights, motor vehicle accidents or sporting injuries. Such an injury should be treated as an emergency since it seriously impacts the health of teeth and gums. Nonetheless, many people find it difficult to deal with such emergencies as they need proper guidance.
Ignoring a dental problem can increase the chance of permanent damage to teeth. Moreover, there may be a need for more extensive and expensive treatment. Everyone should be vigilant and know how to deal with a dental injury to avoid this. Before you get help from our dentist in NE Calgary, here is a quick summary of what to do for some common dental problems.
Toothaches
First, you should rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water. Use dental floss to remove any lodged food from your dental gaps if available. If your mouth is swollen, applying a cold compress outside your mouth or cheek would be best. Avoid putting aspirin or other painkiller on the gums near the aching tooth. That may burn the gum tissue. Stay calm to see our dentist as soon as possible.
Chipped or Broken Teeth
If you have never acquired mouth guards in NE Calgary before, at some point, you may suffer from a broken tooth or soft tissue injury if you are hit in the mouth. At such a moment, you should use a lot of warm water to rinse your mouth. If your gums are bleeding, apply a cold compress outside your mouth, beneath the broken tooth, for about 10 minutes. This will help to relieve some of your pain before you reach our dental clinic near you.
Loosened or Displaced Tooth
Even though it may not be knocked out, a tooth may become laterally displaced or pushed deeper into or out of its socket. That can be due to a physical injury experienced during an accident. In this case, it is crucial to seek the attention of our dentist or dental specialist within six hours of the accident. A dentist will perform a thorough examination to determine the extent of the injury and give viable treatment options. Often, dentists stabilize loosened teeth with a splint. That procedure may require root canal therapy combined with appropriate treatment.
Knocked-Out Tooth
There are instances when a permanent tooth is completely knocked out from the jawbone. Instant action should be taken to have the best chance of saving it. First, you should recover the tooth and gently clean it in water if it is dirty. However, remember to avoid handling the tooth by its roots. If possible, put the tooth back in its socket and hold it with a wet gauze while facing the correct way. Control bleeding by applying pressure to the area while trying to get to a dental clinic near you for emergency treatment.
Jaw Pain Due to Injury
Jaw pain that results from a dental injury may point towards a broken bone, damage to the jaw joint, a gum injury, or an injured tooth. If you experience jaw pain, you should apply ice immediately. That will assist in reducing pain and swelling. If there is no bleeding and the jaw seems to be functioning without limitation, it is less likely that it is broken. Nonetheless, it would be prudent to get an X-ray done on you to examine if you have a hairline crack in the jawbones. If the pain persists, you should seek the help of a dentist.
At Totally Dental, we value your dental health. For this reason, we never hesitate to assist our patients in recovering from any form of dental injury. Visit or call us for assistance.