Be Prepared for Three Top Dental Emergencies

Every day thousands of dental emergencies take place. From painful toothaches to injuries to an abscessed tooth, dental emergencies can cause significant pain and can lead to losing a tooth permanently. If you’re unprepared, dental emergencies can be extremely stressful and painful to deal with.

Ask yourself, do you know what to do in these situations?

• A tooth gets knocked while playing a sport.
• You wake up with a painful toothache and can’t make it to the dentist for hours.
• A tooth gets broken during rough-housing or playtime.

Ask your dentist in Tempe for exact information on what you should do in a dental emergency, but here are some tips to help you if it’s happening now:

1. If you have a toothache and can’t get to the dentist right away, rinse your mouth with warm water and use floss or an interdental cleaner to ensure that nothing is stuck in between your teeth. You can take a painkiller to ease the pain but make plans to see your dentist – a painkiller is not a long term solution. You need to find what is causing your pain and get it fixed.
2. If your tooth has been knocked out, the first thing you need to do is try to find the tooth. If you can find it, hold it by the crown (the bottom part, not the part that goes into your gum) and gently rinse off the dirt. Don’t scrub, or remove any tissue fragments (those are good). If you can, try to reinsert it. If you cannot place the tooth into a glass of milk and contact your dentist immediately: time is a factor.
3. If your tooth was broken, gently rinse your mouth out. Place cold compresses on the area to help reduce swelling. See your doctor quickly to reduce the amount.

And always, keep your dentist in Tempe’s phone number, and all emergency numbers, in an easy to locate place (often on the refrigerator or inside a cabinet). If you have a dental emergency and need to get to a dentist in Tempe NOW, call the friendly dentists at Tempe Dental Care. They offer same day appointments for dental emergencies.