In the case of a dental emergency swift, appropriate action is the best way to respond. The American Dental Association recommends that you take the following action if a dental emergency strikes:
- If a tooth is knocked out, rinse it with water and gently re-embed it. Do not scrub or remove any attached tissue fragments and always hold the tooth by the crown. Time is precious in the case of a knocked out tooth because minute by minute more root cells die. Go straight to the dentist or A & E to save your tooth.
- If you break or chip a tooth, swill your mouth with warm water and hold a cold compress to the face to reduce swelling before seeing your dentist.
- Treat a bitten tongue or lip by gently cleaning with a cloth and apply a cold compress to the swelling. If bleeding is heavy or doesn’t stop, see your dentist or go to A and E.
- If you have a persistent, painful toothache then rinse your mouth with warm water and gently floss around the tooth to remove any food that may be trapped around it. Take a painkiller and see your dentist.
- For a jaw injury or fracture hold a cold compress to the face and go straight to your dentist or A & E department.
- If your brace suddenly breaks or wires are sticking into your mouth and gums, cover with gauze and go straight to your dentist.
- If a dental emergency strikes while you are travelling, check the yellow pages under ‘dentist’.
- If a crown or filling comes out, use sugar free chewing gum to cement it back in place and go straight to your dentist or A and E department.
Emergency procedures used by dentists
Sometimes your dentist may ask you how you want your dental emergency to be treated unless there is a serious risk of infection.
- For a knocked out tooth your dentist will re-implant it. Failure to have your tooth professionally reimplanted within the first 30 minutes to 2 hours of the tooth falling out may result in root canal treatment, veneers or dentures.
- Permanently lost teeth will be replaced by dentists. Failure to have lost teeth replaced may result in damage to your speech and ability to chew. Nowadays dental implants are used which provide stable support for artificial teeth.
- For a chipped or cracked tooth your dentist will consult you on how you want it to be corrected. Veneers, crowns and fillings are all common procedures and you won’t be able to tell the difference!
Tags: Dental emergency Central Leeds, Dental emergency City of Leeds, emergency dental treatment Leeds, Emergency dentistry Leeds
