Dental Emergencies

Like any part of your body, you can experience pain in your mouth, and it is important to know what to do if faced with this situation. Here are a list of some dental emergencies, and how to handle them.

• Bitten Lip or Tongue
• Broken Tooth
• Cracked Tooth
• Knocked-Out Tooth
• Toothache

Bitten Lip or Tongue

Sometimes we bite ourselves when we chew. This is very common and can cause some swelling. You can ice the swelling using any type of cold compress. Make sure that the bleeding slows and stops over time. If the bleeding does not stop, see your doctor immediately.
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Broken Tooth

If you break a tooth, rinse out your mouth immediately to clean the area and then contact your dentist just as quickly. Use a cold compress if there is any swelling in the area around the broken tooth.
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Cracked Tooth

Sometimes when you crack a tooth, you might not even know it. Other times the pain can be so great that you aren't even sure which tooth it is emanating from. The pain from a cracked tooth can be caused by several different actions. Change in temperature of your food can cause teeth to become sensitive. Biting on a piece of food that causes the crack to open and quickly close can also put unwanted pressure on the nerves inside your tooth. Tiny cracks are common and can be found and bonded by your dentist during regular check-ups. If a crack gets very bad, you may need a root canal or the tooth might need to be pulled.
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Knocked-Out Tooth

If a tooth falls outs, or comes close to it, try and find the tooth, hold it by the crown (as opposed to the root) and rinse it off if it is dirty. You can try to keep the tooth in its socket if that is possible, but in cases where its not, put the tooth in a cup of milk and bring this and yourself to the dentist right away.
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Toothache

Toothaches can also vary from mild to unbearable. Most of the time, they are caused by food or debris stuck in between teeth. Rinse out your mouth with warm water to help clean out your mouth or floss between your teeth to remove any excess particles. Again, as with all of our other cases, if the pain remains a problem, go see your dentist, as persistent pain could be a sign of a cavity.
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