Dental emergencies are a part of our Dental Practice. You should never hesitate to call us when you’re in pain. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day and a dentist is always on call. We schedule emergencies as best we can while taking into account our regularly scheduled patients.
Common Injuries and What You Should Do
Injuries to the mouth may include teeth that are knocked out, forced out of position or broken. Sometimes lips, gums or cheeks have cuts. Oral injuries are often painful, and should be treated by a dentist as soon as possible.
When a tooth is knocked out you should:
Immediately call us for an emergency appointment.
Attempt to find the tooth
Gently rinse, but do not scrub the tooth to remove dirt or debris
Place the clean tooth in your mouth between the cheek and gum.
Do not attempt to replace the tooth into the socket. This could cause further damage.
Get to the dentist as soon as possible. If it is within a half hour of the injury, it may be possible to reimplant the tooth.
If it is not possible to store the tooth in the mouth of the injured person, (e.g. young child) wrap the tooth in a clean cloth or gauze and immerse in milk.
If the tooth is pushed out of place (inward or outward), it should be repositioned to its normal alignment with very light finger pressure. Do not force the tooth into the socket. Hold the tooth in place with a moist tissue or gauze. Again, it is vital that the injured individual be seen by a dentist within 30 minutes.
Minor Fracture -- Minor fractures can be smoothed by your dentist with a sandpaper disc or simply left alone. Another option is to restore the tooth with a composite restoration. In either case, you should treat the tooth with care for several days.
Moderate Fracture -- Moderate fractures include damage to the enamel, dentin, and/or pulp. If the pulp is not permanently damaged, the tooth may be restored with a full permanent crown. If pulpal damage does occur further dental treatment will be required.
Severe Fracture -- Severe fractures often mean a traumatized tooth with a slim chance of recovery.
Injuries to the Soft Tissues of the Mouth-- Injuries to the inside of the mouth include tears, puncture wounds and lacerations to the cheek, lips or tongue. The wound should be cleaned right away and the injured person taken to the emergency room for the necessary suturing and wound repair. Bleeding from a tongue laceration can be reduced by pulling the tongue forward and using gauze to place pressure on the wound area.
You may want to give an over-the-counter pain reliever to your child until his/her appointment. If possible, keep any part of the tooth that has broken off and take this with you to the dentist.
Highpoint Pediatric Dental Associates, Tel: (215) 822-4042, 1600 Horizon Drive, Suite 101, Chalfont, PA All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2006
Gentle & Professional Dentistry for Children and Teens