What Do You Do If You Need an Emergency Dentist?

Having a dental emergency can be very frightening and painful. Most people, though, are not actually sure of what constitutes and dental emergency, including who they should call and what they should do should they have a dental emergency at home. Keep in mind the guidelines below for determining to best deal with a dental emergency.

Is Your Dental Emergency Urgent?

Some dental emergencies require urgent intervention, while others can wait for treatment. Urgent dental emergencies that require immediate attention from your dentist include non-stop bleeding, a loose or knocked-out permanent tooth, painful swelling, or an injured jaw. Non-urgent emergencies include lost bridge, crown, or filling; cracked or broken tooth, food lodged between teeth, and dull toothache.

Who Should I Call in an Emergency?

The obvious go-to in case of a dental emergency would be your dentist, although it is sometimes best that you immediately go to the emergency room. Go to the emergency room if you have unbearable bleeding or pain and your dentist’s clinic is closed. If it is non-urgent, call your dentist and explain your situation. From here, your dentist can decide if you need to be seen by a medical professional right away or not.

What Should I Do at Home?

Depending on your dental emergency, there are things that you can do at home to remedy the situation. First of all, it is important to stay calm. Anxiety will trigger several responses in your body that can make the emergency worse. Below are some suggested things that you can do to help ease comfort and pain in a dental emergency.

For irritation and swelling, wash your mouth with a mug of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt.
Put a knocked-out tooth in a glass of milk until your dentist can attend to you.
Flossing a painful tooth as the pain might be caused by something stuck in the teeth.
Apply a cold compress to numb irritation, stop bleeding and reduce swelling.
Swish with hydrogen peroxide to alleviate irritation and kill bacteria.

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies?

Along with proper oral hygiene, one of the best ways to protect yourself from a dental emergency is to regularly see your dentist for routine check-ups and cleaning. This way, potential problems can be detected and treated before they even show symptoms. Other tips include completing the treatments your dentist recommends and staying away from tough or chewy foods.

Dental emergencies are not exactly fun, but knowing how to handle them can be a great help. Just make sure that you first determine the urgency of your particular emergency and contact the right professional to treat you. Talk to your dentist for more information about dental emergencies and what needs to be done.