Do you know what to do in a dental emergency? A dental emergency can be anything from a toothache, a broken tooth or trauma to the mouth causing bleeding and pain. Most people assume they should go to the hospital emergency room with such problems, especially those without dental insurance. While dental pain and trauma require immediate treatment, emergency rooms are not well equipped to provide dental care. If you go to the ER with a dental emergency, you will most likely get a referral for a Yuba City or Marysville dental office that takes emergency appointments. So save time, money and trouble by doing these things before you instead rush to the Yuba City Dentistry Group for emergency dental treatment.
Make a Dental Kit
First, we encourage you to keep an emergency kit in your home and car that includes some supplies in case your mouth needs treatment. With the kit include a small container with lid, saline solution, gauze, acetaminophen or ibuprofen and our phone number, 530-671-4784. Calling us and coming quickly is the best way to save your tooth and repair any damage that’s been done, saving you a long wait in the ER.
Damaged Tongue and Mouth
Trauma to your tongue, cheeks or lips likely means there’s bleeding, which can be a little scary. If your cheeks or tongue are cut or punctured, apply gauze or a clean towel to stop the blood flow. If your mouth is still bleeding after a few minutes of applying firm pressure, get professional help immediately. If the teeth are not injured, this is one type of oral injury where an ER is well-equipped to assist you.
In some situations, stitches are necessary to stop bleeding. If you are not bleeding, clean your tongue or mouth with a clean, wet cloth or gauze. Use an ice pack to limit swelling and take some pain medication if needed. If your pain and swelling doesn’t go away in a few days, call your doctor for additional help.
Toothache
Toothache pain is terrible! When you have a toothache, it’s hard to focus on anything else. Most patients who visit the ER with a toothache do so because of untreated cavities or abscesses. If you have a toothache, rinse your mouth with warm salt water and use cold packs to reduce any pain or swelling. Take some acetaminophen or ibuprofen and call the Yuba City Dentistry Group immediately! Toothache is awful and indicates a serious problem, one that your body’s immune system isn’t able to handle without professional help.
Knocked Out or Loosened Teeth
If you or a loved one gets a tooth totally knocked out, call us right away! Getting treatment within an hour can save your tooth so that it will re-implant and heal. For a knocked-out or evulsed tooth take the following steps:
- Remain calm.
- Find the tooth.
- Gently clean the knocked out tooth with water.
- Be careful to avoid damage to the tooth’s root.
- Keep the tooth moist to encourage successful re-implantation.
How do you keep the tooth wet? Do this either by putting the cleaned tooth back in its socket, or in your mouth between your cheek and gums (just be careful not to swallow it). Moist gauze or a tea bag works well to stabilize the tooth on the way to receive treatment. Don’t try to force the tooth back in place — that would not only be really painful, but it could also damage the tooth’s socket and roots. If you can’t put it in your mouth, wrap the tooth in a packet of clean gauze soaked in water or saline and place in the small lidded container you keep in your dental emergency kit.
Broken, Cracked, or Chipped Teeth
Chipped or fractured teeth can only be repaired with prompt and quality dental care from one of our Yuba City family dentists. If possible, find the chipped or broken part of the tooth and save it in a moist piece of gauze or cloth then place it in the aforementioned container or a plastic bag. Rinse your mouth with water and call us for immediate treatment. Depending on the type of damage and its location, the tooth chip may be reattached and smoothed out with bonding material or we may have to abandon the piece that was broken off and use a crown to stabilize and preserve the remaining part of the tooth. If the tooth has root damage, additional care with endodontic procedures will be needed. Most importantly, don’t try to use glue or adhesives to repair the tooth on your own. These chemicals are not designed for use in human beings!
The Yuba City Dentistry Group is available to provide care and advice if you need it. For patients without dental insurance, we have financing available so that you receive prompt attention when you need it most, without having to go to the ER and waiting for hours. Call us for quality dental care you can rely on!
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