Dental emergencies can be extremely stressful when you’re unprepared for them. Here, we’ll discuss a few preventive measures you can take to equip yourself for a dental emergency, as well as a few best practices when you’re in the moment.
Most homes have a first aid kit for medical purposes, but not many have a dedicated compartment for dental emergencies. We recommend keeping items such as temporary dental cement, dental floss, gauze, and a tooth preservation kit. Additionally, please save our contact information and keep it in a convenient place to eliminate unnecessary searching during a chaotic time.
If your tooth has been broken or completely knocked out of its socket (dental trauma), the few moments following trauma are critical. If the tooth is re-implanted within 30-60 minutes of the injury, there is a higher chance of it being saved. First, handle the lost tooth only by its crown (the chewing surface) and avoid the root.
Collect any tooth particles. Gently rinse your tooth with milk or water without soap, scrubbing, or rubbing. If possible, carefully reinsert the tooth back into the socket. If you can’t do this comfortably, place the tooth into a small container with milk to help preserve the root. Contact our office immediately and bring the tooth with you to your emergency appointment!
A common cause of toothache is leftover food particles that are wedged between your teeth. If you’re experiencing severe pain, gently floss around the area and rinse with a cup of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt to ensure you don’t have anything stuck.
If this doesn’t relieve your pain, your discomfort may be caused by severe tooth decay or even temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction/TMD. In any case, you should speak with a member of our team immediately so we can get you into the office as quickly as possible.
Not only do we welcome emergency visits at Kiwi Dental, but we reserve space in our schedule to accommodate them. We understand that dental emergencies don’t wait for a convenient time to strike; that’s why we’re open until 7:00 PM on weekdays and we offer Saturday appointments as well.
Rather than a temporary fix, our team approaches emergency cases with a permanent solution in mind that will restore your smile to full health, comfort, and function.
