Whether it’s from a fall or biting something too hard for your teeth, dental emergencies can happen anytime. During the holidays, people eat more, attend parties and face a greater risk of accidentally damaging their teeth. If you run into any holiday dental emergencies this year, here’s what to do.
Floss to Remove Food Stuck in Gums
Sudden, sharp toothaches can be caused by food particles stuck between the teeth, pressing down on the gums. Gently floss around the affected area, and rinse your mouth with a cup warm water mixed with a tablespoon of salt. A cold compress can help alleviate discomfort, and over-the-counter pain relievers like Ibuprofen may help as well.
Broken Dental Crown
If a crown comes off your tooth, don’t panic. First, rinse the crown in warm water and apply some toothpaste on it. You may also purchase some dental cement at your local drugstore to try and place it back over your tooth.
Contact your dentist ASAP, but do not attempt to glue the crown back using any type of adhesive. If you swallowed your crown, you are not in any danger. Dental crowns do not contain any toxic materials that will harm you, and it should pass through your digestive tract without causing any trouble. However, you should still call your dentist and inform them of what happened and arrange to have a new crown put in as early as possible.
Saving a Knocked-Out Tooth
Even if it’s on Christmas Day, you should call an emergency dentist right away. Teeth that have been knocked out have to be treated carefully and quickly to prevent the root from dying. Pick up the tooth by the top, not its root, and rinse it with warm water. Do not scrub it or attempt to pick anything off of it. Then, position it back into its socket as best as possible without applying too much pressure.
If you cannot insert the tooth, you can place it in a cup of cold milk or water. You will have to see an emergency dentist within a few hours to hopefully save the tooth.
At Mesa Dental, we offer same-day emergency dental services year-round, so you can always call us if you ever run into any trouble over the holidays.